Curry General Hospital Earns 4-Star Rating for Patient Satisfaction

Curry General Hospital is the only coastal Oregon hospital within 100 miles north and 100 miles south of Gold Beach to receive a 4-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the July 2022 report, an accolade bestowed on only 29% of the 3307 hospitals included. Even fewer - 6% - earned 5-stars.

CMS assigns star ratings to hospitals nationwide based on performance reported by adult patients after discharge through a standardized, 29-question survey. Patients of Curry Health Network (CHN) receive the survey by mail through an unbiased, independent third-party; the CMS ranking system helps consumers easily compare hospitals to make more informed decisions about their care.

CHN's CEO Virginia (Ginny) Williams said it is the growing number of positive patient experiences - like that of Curry County Commissioner Christopher Paasch, owner of Cornerstone Ranch - that make it easy to understand why the hospital's patient satisfaction star rating skyrocketed during the last quarter from 2- to 4-stars.

Paasch found himself in Curry General for a ruptured appendix near the end of July, and discovered firsthand how the hospital continues to strive to provide patients with the best care possible.

"Every service I was offered at Curry, I felt as if they really cared about the outcome, and that's very important to someone in the hospital, especially if it's life threatening," said Paasch, who had surgery and received care during his two-week recovery. "The fear and anxiety you feel, you want to know that the people taking care of you are doing the best they can for you."

HOW THEY DID IT

CHN set its sights on increasing its previously lackluster star rating and implemented a variety of steps, including monitoring and evaluating current trends to look for areas in which to improve.

"Monitoring trends is important, but probably one of the most important steps we're taking is actively listening - listening to our frontline staff and our management team, and most importantly, listening to our patients. We want to hear about their experiences, whether they were satisfied or dissatisfied," said CHN's Patient Experience Officer Isaac Hodges.

After listening comes action, and staff involvement is key, explained Hodges: "When staff have ideas about new or improved processes that can enhance the experience of our patients, our new Service Excellence Department is listening and empowering staff to establish goals and work together to make positive changes. We celebrate successes with staff, give credit when credit is due, and share that news throughout the organization."

CHN's Director of Quality Sunnie Day Spansail agreed: "Service Excellence and Quality are now working hand-in-hand to deliver the best care and best experience and to address any patient concerns. And while we love hearing about positive experiences, there's always room for improvement in any health system and it is equally as important to learn when a patient is less than satisfied."

Hodges added: "We take all concerns seriously; if the patient isn't satisfied, we're not satisfied. When a patient shares their concerns, we listen, and we make sure they know they've been heard. Learning

about their experience gives us an opportunity to see where we may have fallen short, determine how and why, and make adjustments that will improve the experience for the next patient."

Williams summed up the positive ratings: "We are honored to be recognized as a 4-star facility. We want all of our patients to be as satisfied with their hospital experience as Mr. Paasch, and we're working hard to get there. This is an amazing hospital providing quality care with state-of-the-art equipment, and compassionate and dedicated providers and staff who love our community and care for our patients as if they are family."