St. Nicholas Hospital receives award

St. Nicholas Hospital, Sheboygan, is the recipient of the 2009/ 2010 HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award.

The hospital is one of 340 hospitals throughout the nation that received this award, comprising 15 percent of hospitals in the nation.

“We continually strive for patient care excellence at St. Nicholas Hospital and are committed to our patients receiving a positive experience of our compassionate care,” said Mary Brasseaux, CEO.

“Our employees, medical staff, and volunteers are encouraged to be involved in fostering a Franciscan ministry to bring Christ’s healing presence to all. This award is a testament that our core values of respect, care, competence, and joy are lived by all who work here and is felt by all who use our services.”

Recent research shows that patients’ choice of a hospital is influenced by service and amenities, as well as clinical quality.

“As people make their healthcare decisions, they are considering not only the outcome of a procedure or treatment, but what type of experience they can expect to have,” said Michele Oostdyk, assistant administrator, Patient Care Services.

“We strive to make that experience one that will make them feel comfortable to come back again if they need healthcare. We also want them to be able to tell a friend or neighbor about the excellent experience they have had here at St. Nicholas Hospital.”

The HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award is based on an analysis of the federal government’s Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, also known as the CAHPS Hospital Survey, or HCAHPS. HealthGrades is the first company to help hospitals market this data.

The end result is consumer-friendly information from the leader in healthcare ratings that consumers already know and trust. The HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award aggregates recommendations from patients and identifies those hospitals that provide a superior patient experience.