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River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic Named Among the Top 100 Hospitals for Patient Experience by WomenCertified® vember 1 |
New Research Helps Female Consumers Make Educated Healthcare Decisions
ST. PETER – WomenCertified®, the collective voice of the female consumer and a trusted referral source for top businesses and brands identified among women, is recognizing River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic as one of the country’s Top 100 Hospitals for Patient Experience based on female patient satisfaction.
Hospitals are selected for this prestigious annual list based on a proprietary scoring process that incorporates Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores along with a higher level of analysis that weighs criteria identified as the most important to women for patient satisfaction. Additionally, it takes into consideration WomenCertified’s in-depth research on customer satisfaction among women, including a joint study on customer satisfaction by gender conducted with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Based on this scoring process, River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic placed 26 out of 1400 small hospitals surveyed, and is one of only ten hospitals in hospitals of all sizes in Minnesota to be awarded.
“Being recognized as a Top Hospital in Patient Experience by WomenCertified is a competitive differentiator in today’s healthcare marketplace,” said Colleen Spike, CEO of River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic. “We are honored to receive this recognition, and we value our solid reputation among female patients.”
As a Top 100 Hospital, and because of its high consumer satisfaction scores, WomenCertified is delighted to further honor River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic with the Women’s Choice Award. Women are empowered to make better choices by having a Seal that represents the collective opinion of women who highly recommend that brand, service or hospital.
“Women make or influence more than 85 percent of all healthcare decisions for themselves and their families,” said Delia Passi, CEO and founder of WomenCertified and former publisher of Working Mother and Working Women magazines. “Recognizing the top hospitals nationwide that are women-friendly and align with women’s identified preferences is important to our mission at WomenCertified, where we are women helping women make smart choices.”
For more information about River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic visit www.riversedgehealth.org.
About WomenCertified® WomenCertified®, the voice of female consumers, awards businesses and brands based on consumer experience. WomenCertified represents the collective voice of women so they can help each other identify businesses that deserve our loyalty and referrals. WomenCertified awards businesses and brands that meet a higher standard of customer experience the Women’s Choice Award. The Award is based on surveys of tens of thousands of women, as well as research conducted in partnership with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania on what drives the consumer experience for women vs. men, which led to the development of the Female Consumer Satisfaction Index. In September 2011 WomenCertified launched the Top Hospitals for Patient Experience by WomenCertified. Visit www.womencertified.com.
River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic Receives New Quality-Based Accreditation from DNV Healthcare
River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic today announces that is has achieved national accreditation from DNV Healthcare, the newest and first Medicare-approved hospital accreditation program that integrates the ISO 9001quality management system with the Medicare hospital standards and which requires the organization to evaluate the continuum of patient care throughout an entire healthcare system and take measured steps to improve when it is warranted. “We are really proud that River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic is the first Critical Access Hospital in Minnesota to be accredited by DNV,” says Colleen Spike, CEO. “The DNV program is more consistent with our long-term commitment to patient safety and total quality,” says Spike. “There has not been a new hospital accreditation organization in over 40 years. The ability to integrate the ISO 9001 quality management system with our clinical and financial processes is a major step forward. ”DNV hospital accreditation addresses the demands of quality-driven hospitals that are dedicated to patient-centered care. As part of the accreditation process, DNV surveyors track the care of patients across various departments and facilities of River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic.” “It’s a much more holistic system” says Spike. “DNV is very thorough and it doesn’t feel like an inspection. We see collaboration. The DNV program helps us find opportunities throughout the organization to improve every day. This is a welcomed change. We now look upon accreditation as a strategic business tool and as source of empowerment for our staff. The DNV program keeps us moving forward. ”Being accredited allows River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic to receive reimbursement for its patients covered by Medicare and Medicaid. The DNV accreditation program was authorized by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2008 and is the only program that integrates the ISO quality management system with Medicare’s Conditions of Participation, the core requirements for hospitals set forth by the federal government. River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic will have three years to become compliant with the ISO 9001:2008 standards in order to maintain its accreditation with DNV. DNV Healthcare Inc. is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Det Norske Veritas, a global independent foundation dedicated to safeguarding life, property and the environment. For more information about DNV Healthcare and its NIAHOR hospital accreditation program, visit http://www.dnvaccreditation.com.
Flu vaccine available Flu Vaccine is available at River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic including FluMist, the regular flu vaccine and the Fluzone High-Dose created for people 65 years of age and older. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that all people 6 months and older receive the annual influenza vaccination. This is a new and expanded recommendation for this season. Only one vaccine is required this year for older children and adults. All children 6 months up through 8 years of age getting a flu vaccine for the first time need two doses, at least 4 weeks apart, the first year they are vaccinated in order to develop immune protection. This includes children who received one or two doses of the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine, but who have never received a seasonal flu vaccine. The H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season and two other influenza viruses (an H3N2 virus and an influenza B virus) are included in this year’s vaccine. You need to get the 2010-11 seasonal flu vaccine even if you received the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine late last season. The flu vaccine is updated each season to provide protection against the flu viruses that research indicates will cause the most illness. The vaccine is effective approximately two weeks after vaccination.
To receive the flu vaccine call River’s Edge Clinic at 507-934-8480. Appointments are available Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Please bring your insurance information with you to your appointment.
River’s Edge Clinic Le Center opening By: Kurt Hildebrandt, Le Center Leader |
| Wednesday, June 30, 2010 |
LE CENTER -- The public is invited to an open house for the new River’s Edge Clinic, Le Center (200 East Bowler Street) from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 7. |
River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic now designated as Level 4 Trauma hospital
December 22, 2009
ST. PETER - The Minnesota Department of Health recently designated River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic as a Level 4 Trauma hospital. River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic staff voluntarily participated in the intense process.
To become part of Minnesota’s statewide trauma system the process included an outside review of the hospital’s resources and capabilities to care for trauma patients. River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic met standards of commitment, clinical and equipment resources and staff training. The hospital also participates in a continuous performance improvement process,
Colleen Spike, CEO of River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic said, “The Emergency Room staff and physicians have worked very hard over the past year to meet the criteria to receive the Level 4 Trauma designation. The advanced training the staff and physicians received will benefit all patients who seek care in the River’s Edge Emergency Department. ”
For a severely injured person, the time between sustaining an injury and receiving definitive care is the most important predictor of survival – the “golden hour.” The chance of survival diminishes with time; however, a trauma system enhances the chance of survival regardless of proximity to an urban trauma hospital.
Trauma is the third leading cause of death in Minnesota,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Sanne Magnan. “The goal of the trauma system is to decrease injured patients’ time to care by making sure their medical needs are appropriately matched with hospital resources. With the designation of River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic as a Level 4 Trauma hospital, we are getting closer to our goal of ensuring that seriously injured Minnesotans have access to an organized system of trauma care wherever they are in the state.” On average, trauma claims the lives of 2,400 Minnesotans annually. States with trauma systems have seen survival rates increase by 15 to 20 percent. Wide-scale participation in the voluntary trauma system ensures that a statewide, cooperative effort is in place to care for seriously injured patients.
Minnesota began developing a comprehensive statewide trauma system in August of 2005. Through its designation, River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic recognizes the vital role that communities, ambulance services, hospitals and health care professionals play in the care and management of trauma patients.
For more information about the statewide trauma system see http://www.health.state.mn.us/traumasystem/.
For more information about River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic see http://www.riversedgehealth.org.
River's Edge Hospital & Clinic Attacks Infection Control
March 26, 2009
ST. PETER - Molecular testing, introduced at River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic in March will produce faster lab results, reduce the risk of contamination and enable doctors to make quicker, better informed treatment decisions, said Kay Carlson, Manager Laboratory Services.
The testing upgrade was aided by an advanced processing machine Carlson called “the wave of the future.” The Cepheid GeneXpert allows laboratory technicians to test for specific bacteria and have results in about an hour. “We can start the antibiotics that are most effective within an hour and a half,” she said.
Also important, doctors can prescribe effective antibiotics quickly. Before molecular diagnostics, samples were used to grow lab cultures, which could take several days to produce results, Carlson said. That meant doctors might have to begin treatment before knowing exactly what they were trying to fight. “It’s kind of revolutionized infectious disease treatment,” she said.
The GeneXpert takes a DNA sample and sets off a chain reaction to quickly produce millions of copies of it. Chemical indicators glow brighter as the quantity increases, and the color helps the machine identify the bacteria. What once took three separate rooms is now accomplished in a small cartridge with several compartments. The cartridge reduces the chances of contamination and a ruined test. The machine can run four tests at a time, but that can be expanded to as many as 16 with the addition of more test modules.
Said Carlson “It’s a very complicated inner working, but it’s been made very simple for the user. It’s really a pretty amazing process that’s going on inside.”
The system was set up by Carlson, a longtime River’s Edge Hospital employee. Carlson is a lifetime resident of St. Peter and received her Medical Laboratory Technician training at St. Mary’s College, Minneapolis and her B.S. at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
At this point, River’s Edge Hospital & Clinic is using the GeneXpert to test for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, commonly called MRSA, one of the most common causes of infections in hospitals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MRSA accounts for more than 60 percent of hospital-acquired S. aureus infections in the U.S. More than 278,000 inpatients are infected by MRSA each year, and more than 17,000 MRSA-related hospitalizations end in death.
The hospital may initially conduct about 50 tests a month, but that will increase as new tests are added and additional risk groups are added to the surveillance pool.