Six FMC Clinical Departments Earn Top Rating in Patient Satisfaction

GREENFIELD – Six departments at Franklin Medical Center recently ranked in the 90th percentile or above for their overall quality of care score for patient satisfaction, according to reports issued by Professional Research Consultants (PRC) and Press Ganey Associates Inc. Both are independent agencies that review and analyze patient satisfaction for hospitals throughout the nation.

The six departments include Cardiopulmonary and Outpatient Behavioral Health (reviewed by Press Ganey); and Emergency Services, Spoke 5 Medical-Surgical Inpatient Unit, and Oncology (reviewed by PRC).

“Franklin Medical Center voluntarily participates in these patient-satisfaction review processes,” explained David Farrick, director of Outpatient Services for FMC. “Reviewers from independent agencies randomly interview patients by phone or by mailed surveys following their visit, and analyze the results. We then review the data and determine when follow-up action is needed.”

FMC Vice President of Operations, Karen Moore, added, “At Franklin Medical Center, all our clinical departments are aiming to achieve a score at least in the 75th percentile. To have six departments rate 90{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} or above – and one with a 99{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} score – is evidence that we are doing our job, and doing it well.”

Moore continued, “Patients naturally expect that we will have the technology and expertise needed to provide high quality care. And we do. What these reports reflect is that patients are equally satisfied with our staff’s attention to patients’ privacy, their respect for individual patients’ needs and preferences, and their commitment to assuring the quality of each patient’s experience.”

Reports from independent surveyors assist departments in understanding the satisfaction, perceptions and expectations of their patients. The main objectives are to identify key areas in which a department can improve the quality of care and then to monitor the success of various initiatives.

During a departmental assessment, PRC conducts telephone interviews with randomly selected former FMC patients. Press Ganey does its research via surveys mailed to former patients. In both instances, questions include such topics as overall quality of care, ease of scheduling and registration, respect for privacy, discharge instructions, competency of staff, and explanation of procedures.