FY12 Annual Report - St. John Health System

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Empowered to Improve the Patient Experience
Leading the state in patient satisfaction
At the end of FY12, the number of patients who ranked 4-B at Providence Park Hospital “Excellent” for Overall Quality of Care placed the hectic medical-surgical unit in the
nation’s top 10 percent for patient satisfaction. The high scores for this 18-bed acuity-adaptable unit earned it 5-Star Performer status from Professional Research Consultants,
Ascension Health’s Patient Satisfaction surveyor, and made it the only inpatient unit recognized as a 5-Star performer in any of Ascension Health’s Michigan Ministries.
How did they do it?
The American Association of Critical Care Nurses has long recognized the importance of healthy
work relationships in delivering excellent patient care, and the comments from the nurses on 4B,
below, read like a case study.
“Everyone is professional on this unit. There are no cliques- no gossip is tolerated- no negative
comments about each other. We just don’t participate in that type of thing.”
“Everyone is different. That is what makes us a great team, because everyone is valued.”
“All departments are important, and we value them for what they do for us and our patients.
Food Service, Environmental Services, Security, the PAs – they are a part of our team.”
“We have the most talented and professional patient care technicians I’ve ever worked with.”
“Nurses always call patients by name, not room number, and they sit next to the patients to do
their teaching.”
Providence Park’s 4B nursing team
Discharge means graduation for rehab patients
For many rehabilitation patients, the transition back to their community after an inpatient stay can be riddled
with challenges and fear. In early 2012, the Cracchiolo Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit at St. John Hospital and
Medical Center formed a multidisciplinary team to revive an initiative they thought could help. Graduation Day
is the culmination of lots of hard work by patients and their families, and a big step toward functional
independence. On a rehab unit where the average length of stay is 10-15 days, patients and their loved ones
form special bonds with their caregivers, and Graduation Day is a celebration for all of them. Patients struggling
with acute injuries, illnesses, neurologic or congenital conditions, and/or significant physical disability look
ahead rather than behind, realizing that where there was once despair, there is now hope.
“I work here because of the commitment to patient-centered spiritual care. We always keep the patient at the center of what we do.”
—Ellen Theisen, Providence Park