Wilmington, Delaware – The Studer Group, dedicated to improving clinical, operational and service excellence with hundreds of health care clients throughout the U.S and internationally, has recognized Nemours and the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children as its Health Care Organization of the Month for November 2010. The recognition is for significant achievement in service and caring that guides the organization and results in measurable positive outcomes.
Improved and Sustained Results
Among more than 300 Studer clients, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children was selected on the basis of improved and sustained results in a number of key areas, including the following:
- Scored in the 99th percentile nationwide for overall customer ratings of pediatric inpatient care.
- Scored in the 96th percentile nationwide for customers’ likelihood to recommend to others.
- Scored in the 96th percentile nationwide for satisfaction with care and likelihood to recommend for ambulatory surgery and emergency services.
- Over a two-year period, saw the average wait time in the emergency department steadily decline – from a high of 156 minutes to 76 minutes, a reduction of 52%.
- Over a two-year period, experienced zero central line infections in the neonatal intensive care unit and zero cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the cardiac intensive care unit (standard measures of quality and safety).
“We are honored to receive this distinction,” said Mariane Stefano, Nemours Managing Director of Service Excellence. “Our Associates are open to new ideas and are working hard to make improvements that are leading to better health outcomes and higher patient/family satisfaction with our care and services. We are always striving to be better and this award is both validating and motivating. We are creating a culture of sustained excellence at Nemours.”
A Turnaround in the Emergency Department
According to Nursing Director Ken Molczan, January 2008 marked a low point in customer satisfaction in the emergency department (ED) at the duPont Hospital for Children. “Our overall satisfaction scores had ebbed to the 55th percentile, which we found completely unacceptable,” he recalls. That is when ED leadership made a commitment to adopt changes, based on evidence-based best practices, that have led to a remarkable turnaround in how families now feel about their emergency experience.
First, the ED staff was retrained to use a simple communication tool when interacting with families. It involved “introducing ourselves, estimating how long the visit would take, reassuring the family that we have all the right people and skills to help them – basically minimizing their anxiety,” Ken explained. Reminders were posted on white boards throughout the ED. Consistent use of the communication technique worked. “We found people were more understanding about waiting,” said Ken. “They felt acknowledged.”
A second factor was making discharge phone calls a must. “We call 100% of families the day after discharge,” Ken noted, actually reaching about 70% of them. The purpose is to check on the patient, find out if there are any lingering questions or problems, and “let the family know their child is important to us.” The ED sometimes places up to 400 calls a day.
Additionally, Ken said, “We started rounding with families, meaning that a nurse or aide would check in with families at least once per hour to make sure they were comfortable and kept informed.” There were other improvements, too, in patient flow and personnel assignments. As a result, wait times in the ED were significantly reduced and there was some re-deployment of staff to tap into strengths, such as superior customer service skills. With all of these improvements in place, satisfaction skyrocketed: overall satisfaction and the likelihood to recommend the ED to others are now at the 96th percentile.
"Raising satisfaction levels from so-so to superior in two years is no small feat," acknowledged Nemours President & CEO David Bailey, MD. “Nemours will not settle for being good at anything,” he said. “We strive to be great. We want every family to get excellent care, to be delighted with the personal service we provide and to recommend us to others. That is what we’re committed to achieving. This award and the results that led to this award, exemplify that commitment.”
In recognizing Nemours, Quint Studer, Founder and CEO of Studer Group, had this to say: “At a time when many health care organizations say ‘we can’t,’ due to financial pressures, Nemours says it can and does it. Our highest honor is to recognize one organization each month out of thousands that model excellent patient care. If every organization in the country followed Nemours’ example, our country would lead the way in health care. This award cannot be sought; the organization chosen is selected on the basis of their results. Nemours is all about excellence in patient care, as all health care organizations should be.”