Setting the standard: Ruby celebrates National Patient Experience Week

WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital celebrated National Patient Experience Week with a variety of activities dedicated to honoring employees’ roles in enhancing the patient experience from the past year and encouraging its continued quest for excellence.

As part of the week, the Center for Quality Outcomes and executive leadership recognized two units for their exemplary performance with HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) scores in 2021.

10 East (Neuro Step Down and Epilepsy Monitoring Unit), led by nurse manager Jennifer Johnson, earned a trophy and banner for most improved scores; the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), led by nurse manager Cara Hawkins, earned a trophy and banner for having the highest overall scores.

HCAHPS is a patient satisfaction survey required by CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) for all hospitals in the United States.

National Patient Experience Week was created by the Beryl Institute to highlight the human element in healthcare and to recognize the important and often overlooked people in the healthcare community – those who are responsible for providing exceptional patient experiences.

This year’s theme is “Compassion,” which is also one of the foundations for WVU Medicine’s new Standards of Behavior. This guideline for all WVU Medicine hospitals, clinics, and facilities emphasizes the “Four Cs,” which focus on four essential behaviors: Compassion, Communication, Commitment, and Competence. Using these behaviors, employees can maximize opportunities to enhance the patient experience.