Leadership at Community Memorial Hospital announced the next generation, patient experience initiative recently called “NO PASS ZONE.”
The “NO PASS ZONE” is one of many “iCare for 5 Stars” initiatives launched by CMH.
The “NO PASS ZONE” promotes a quick and effective response to patient’s needs. Employees, clinical and non-clinical personnel are reminded that caring for the patient is everyone’s responsibility.
For example, anyone can respond to a blinking patient call light.
“We encourage and train all staff not to pass by a patient room if someone needs help, but to stop and assist. Every call bell represents a ‘light’ or an opportunity to meet our patient’s needs. So, if you see the blinking light, make it right,” said Diana VanAlthuis, nurse manager for Med-Surg SCU.
The “NO PASS ZONE” was launched for staff through an educational in-service and a demonstration video, and new staff is introduced to the “NO PASS ZONE” during orientation.
“Our staff is ‘iCare for 5 Stars’ team players. They treat our patients like they are family members and the “NO PASS ZONE” initiative raises the bar for patient care,” said Sean Fadale, president, and CEO of CMH.
This is not the first initiative Community Memorial has implemented to enhance the patient experience. Other initiatives include hourly rounding by medical staff, quiet hour everyday beginning at 3 p.m., and re-designing discharge folders.
Community Memorial earned the only five-star rating in August 2018 for patient satisfaction in New York state from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services based on results from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey covering patient discharges from Oct. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2017.
HCAHPS is a standardized survey of patients (post-discharge) and their perspectives on the care they received during their recent hospital stay.