Eastern Long Island Hospital (ELIH) is among the top 15 percent in the nation for patient experience based on an analysis of patient surveys from 3,775 hospitals across the country by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. By placing in the top 15 percent, ELIH received the 2010/2011 HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™.
ELIH was one of only eight (8) recipients of the HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ in New York State, one of just two on Long Island and the ONLY awardee in Suffolk County, Long Island ‐ alongside the prestigious facilities of St. Francis Hospital (Nassau County, LI) and the Hospital for Special Surgery (New York City).
Achieving the #3 spot for outstanding patient experience in New York City and the Long Island market area has been “the culmination of many years of patient‐focused initiatives within the hospital”, says Paul J Connor III, President and CEO of Eastern Long Island Hospital. He goes on to say, “While we are honored to be receiving this award from HealthGrades, we know it is really our patient community that stands behind the award. This honor is a tribute to the staff for all the talent, hard work and heart they bring to work every day”.
Obama’s healthcare reform act contains provisions that mandate hospital quality measurements, so that Americans can accurately compare hospitals and make informed health care decisions. ELIH has achieved these Federal mandates, ahead of schedule, and as such has been awarded the OUTSTANDING PATIENT EXPERIENCE AWARD by HealthGrades, a leading independent healthcare ratings organization.
Eastern Long Island Hospital along with 3,775 hospitals in the nation, participated in the annual Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, or HCAHPS. The HCAHPS survey was mailed to recently discharged patients between July 2008 and June 2009 and includes 27 questions related to physician and nurse communication, hospital staff responsiveness, hospital cleanliness and noise levels, medication information, and post-discharge care instructions. It is a national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients' perspectives of hospital care.
The analysis of the HCAHPS surveys by HealthGrades found that 50% more patients gave ELIH, the recipient of the Outstanding Patient Experience Award an overall rating of a 9 or a 10 (10 being the highest possible) compared to the poorest‐performing 15 percent of hospitals. Similarly, 50% more patients reported that they would definitely recommend the hospital to their family and friends.
In addition, 29 percent more patients at the top‐performing hospitals said that they rested better because their room was always kept quiet at night, and 39 percent more patients said that they always received help from staff quickly. Twenty‐seven percent more patients reported that staff always explained their medications to them prior to administering them and 26 percent more patients reported that their nurses always communicated well.
Patient Survey Questions – Completed Anonymously
The 27 survey questions fell into the following 10 categories. The first two questions are so important that they are weighted and account for 50% of the final rating:
- Overall rating: How do patients rate the hospital overall?
- Recommendation to family/friends: Would patients recommend the hospital to friends and family?
- Communication with doctors: How often did doctors communicate well with patients?
- Communication with nurses: How often did nurses communicate well with patients?
- Responsiveness of hospital staff: How often did patients receive help quickly from hospital staff?
- Pain management: How often was patients' pain well controlled?
- Communication about medicines: How often did staff explain medicines before giving them to patients?
- Discharge information: Were patients given information about what to do during their recovery at home? (This question was the only yes/no measure.)
- Cleanliness: How often were the patients' rooms and bathrooms kept clean?
- Quietness: How often was the area around patients' rooms kept quiet at night?
“There are a select group of hospitals that have made a top‐to‐bottom commitment to providing their patients with an outstanding patient experience as part of their overall commitment to quality,” said Rick May, MD, a HealthGrades vice president. “Members of their community should take pride in knowing that, should they need it, there’s a hospital in their area that puts patients first.”
About Eastern Long Island Hospital
ELIH is a 90‐bed, full‐service, community hospital committed to delivering excellence in patient care and meeting all the health needs of the North Fork and Shelter Island.
Established in 1905, Eastern Long Island Hospital is Suffolk County’s first voluntary hospital and boasts a reputation for combining advanced technology with ‘compassionate caring’ and extraordinary personal attention.
Centers of excellence at Eastern Long Island Hospital include—Emergency Care, Geriatrics, Ambulatory Surgery, Pain Management, General Surgery, Women’s Health, Plastic Surgery, Psychiatry, Radiology, Men’s Health, Physical Therapy and Addiction Services.
About HealthGrades
HealthGrades is the nation’s leading independent source for healthcare quality ratings and advisory services. Every year, we complete an exhaustive review of outcomes at the nation’s non‐federal hospitals, based on an objective analysis of more than 41 million Medicare records.
As part of our objective research, HealthGrades also assesses how the nation’s hospitals compare in terms of patient experience and service. In our study, we analyze patient survey data administered and collected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This year, more than 3,700 hospitals nationwide participated and were evaluated by HealthGrades.
It’s important to note that this is not a voluntary process, and hospitals cannot “apply” for the HealthGrades review. In fact, all hospitals that participate in the federal survey process are analyzed and bench-marked for comparison.
Our unique study evaluates 27 different patient experience factors, such as physician and nurse communication, the speed of staff responsiveness, hospital cleanliness and noise levels, and medication information.