Avera Sacred Heart Hospital Receives National Recognition

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

Avera Sacred Heart Hospital (ASHH) in Yankton was recently recognized as one of just 86 hospitals in the nation to rank in the top 10 percent in the country for excellence in patient safety and experience, according to a Healthgrades study.

The patient safety award places ASHH in the top 10 percent of all hospitals in terms of its performance in keeping patients safe from complications during their hospital stays. The patient experience award also places ASHH in the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for the delivery of a positive experience for patients during their stay at the hospital.

This marks the sixth year in a row that ASHH has ranked in the top 10 percent among hospitals in the nation.

“Many hospitals may claim to have the best quality, experience and safety for their patients, but they may not have the data to support those claims,” Pam Rezac, ASHH president/CEO, told the Press & Dakotan. “By utilizing Healthgrades, the public can have the confidence that the designation of ASHH for the awards we received is based on evidence-based data.”

Healthgrades independently measures hospitals based on data that is submitted to the federal government. No hospital can opt in or out of the analysis, and no hospital gets paid to be measured.

Rezac noted that staff members are gratified to have won such awards, and receiving them is a testament to the high quality of services staff members provide patients and visitors on a daily basis.

“Consumers should have confidence in the evidence-based data, and the fact that Avera Sacred Heart is one of only two hospitals in South Dakota, and 86 in the nation, to have earned the distinctions,” she said. “The awards should also be significant to the people we serve in Yankton and the region, in that they can have confidence that they are receiving top-in-the-nation quality care and customer service.”

Rezac added that she’s proud of the employees, medical staff and volunteers at Avera Sacred Heart.

“The people we have make an amazing contribution and significant difference in the lives of the people we serve,” she said. “Our staff are focused on providing the best evidence-based care and safe environment to our patients.”

The Healthgrades report highlights the variation in hospital quality across the nation.

“The goal of the report is to show consumers that spending time on understanding hospital performance can be a matter of life and death,” Evan Marks, executive vice president of informatics and strategy for Healthgrades, said in a statement. “Consumers can be assured that a hospital that has been recognized with a 2013 Healthgrades patient safety excellence award had demonstrated an established commitment to patient safety.”

Rezac said officials at Avera intend to continuously promote evidence-based health care best practices.

“We devote significant resources to the orientation and continuing education of our staff to assure optimum patient-centered high quality care and a safe environment,” she said. “We will continue to submit our clinical data and pursue surveys of our patients and residents to obtain information to ensure we are providing the best possible care to the people we serve.”

To read a full copy of the report, visit healthgrades.com.

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