Veterans Memorial Hospital receives 2016 Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award® for Outstanding Performance in Inpatient Services


Veterans Memorial Hospital has again received national recognition at the annual National Press Ganey Conference for achieving the Guardian of Excellence Award for Outstanding Performance in Inpatient Services. Pictured above are members of the hospital staff who accepted this award on behalf of the hospital. Left to right: Mike Myers, CEO; Mary Jo Meyer, Medical Lab Technician; Machelle Bulman, RN, Director of Nursing; Dave Lyons, RN; Patrick Ryan, Press Ganey CEO; Amanda Leiran, Radiology Supervisor; Carol Gaunitz, RN; and Matt Wagner, RN, Quality Assurance. The Guardian of Excellence Award recognizes top-performing facilities that consistently achieved the 95th percentile, or top five percent of hospitals nationwide, of performance in Inpatient Services. Submitted photo.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon is pleased to announce it has been named a 2016 Guardian of Excellence Award® winner by Press Ganey. The Guardian of Excellence Award recognizes top-performing health care organizations that have consistently achieved the 95th percentile or above of performance in Patient Experience/Inpatient Services.
The Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award is a nationally-recognized symbol of achievement in health care. Presented annually, the award honors clients who consistently sustained performance in the top five percent of all Press Ganey clients for each reporting period during the course of one year.

In 2007, VMH began measuring its Emergency Room patient experience using Press Ganey. When initial results showed VMH in the 95th percentile overall, the challenge of sustaining excellent scores was realized.  Consistent, effective and caring communication with patients and their families has been one of the main objectives followed by the hospital staff over the last nine years, with a focus on building loyalty among patients.

Veterans Memorial Hospital not only measures patient satisfaction in the inpatient area, but all maternity services patients, emergency patients and home health patients are surveyed through Press Ganey as well. The hospital keeps the results and goals of all patient survey results at the forefront of the hospital’s culture. Press Ganey results and comments are compiled monthly and shared with physicians and all staff through a “no secrets” approach.

“We have made patients feeling like they get outstanding care our priority. The use of Press Ganey as our benchmark is key to giving us feedback not only on what we are doing right, but what we need to improve on,” states Mike Myers, CEO of Veterans Memorial Hospital. “All departments that have an impact on the patient experience in our inpatient, OB, home health and emergency departments have processes that are measured by this survey. The results drive improvement activities to make sure we exceed patient expectations.”

According to Myers, the award represents an important recognition from the industry’s leader in measuring, understanding and improving the patient experience. Myers adds, “We send a group of employees from various departments to the Press Ganey National Client Conference to learn firsthand what other hospitals are doing to improve patient satisfaction. We consider Press Ganey to be a valuable partner in our efforts to provide quality care to all we serve.”

"We are proud to partner with Veterans Memorial Hospital,” said Patrick T. Ryan, CEO of Press Ganey. “This award is a testament to the organization’s leadership in delivering patient-centered care. By achieving and sustaining this level of excellence, Veterans Memorial Hospital continues to demonstrate their commitment to reducing patient suffering and advancing the overall quality of health care to the Allamakee and northern Clayton County area.”

Press Ganey is a leading provider of patient experience measurement, performance analytics and strategic advisory solutions for health care organizations across the continuum of care. With over 30 years of experience, Press Ganey is recognized as a pioneer and thought leader in patient experience measurement and performance improvement solutions. Its mission is to help health care organizations reduce patient suffering and improve clinical quality, safety and the patient experience. As of January 1, 2016, Press Ganey served more than 26,000 health care facilities. For more information, visit www.pressganey.com.