JCH tops rankings

When it comes to safety, a national, independent nonprofit organization has rated Jay County Hospital as top in the state.

Consumer Reports has ranked Jay County Hospital highest in its latest ratings of Hoosier state hospitals. The facility came in with an overall safety score of 79 out of 100, nine points above the second-ranked facility, Woodlawn Hospital in Rochester.

Overall scores are based on composite measures of readmissions, communication, complications, overuse of CT scans and infections.

Jay County Hospital CEO Dave Hyatt said he was “super proud” of the ranking, which is just one point off the nation’s top rating.

“Our team members, they work so hard. We’re honored to get that,” he said.

While not shocked by the hospital’s overall score, Hyatt was impressed with how it ranked among the state’s other facilities.

“The score’s not surprising because I know how hard we work, but I know how hard all of the hospitals in Indiana are working as well,” he said.

For Hyatt, the score is a reflection of a hospital attitude focused on improvement every day. The hospital keeps its own internal scorecard, which covers a number of areas and is reviewed regularly with Jay County Hospital Board.

“That culture has permeated from our managers to team members. It starts with the board (of trustees) and I owe that board kudos,” Hyatt said.

The importance of a synergetic work environment and its significance to patient safety was also stressed by one of Jay County Hospital’s clinicians, Dr. Mark Haggenjos.

“Healthcare is a team sport,” Haggenjos said. “You could have the best doctors and nurses in the world but if it don’t have the team to support them and does the whole care, then you’re not going to get those results.”

Haggenjos said the hospital has a lot of safe guards to place to prevent errors and unsafe conditions. They appear to be working.

The Consumer Reports rating found the hospital reported no MRSA or C.difficile infections in 2015. JCH also reported zero surgical-site infections in 38 surgical procedures preformed that same year.

But it’s more than just enacting policies and procedures that contribute to high safety scores, Haggenjos indicated.

“Obviously you can put a lot of policies and procedures in place that are good to try to protect patients when there in a health care environment,” he said. “But obviously you need people that are willing to go the extra step and actually implement those policies and procedures so patients are well protected.”

Haggenjos said the hospital’s small size allows it to work one-on-one with patients and treat them like family.

The Consumer Reports ratings showed the hospital received strong marks for patient experience, with patients expressing a high level of satisfaction for the communication they receive from staff members.

The data, based on government reports, showed that 94 percent of patients said they were told what to watch for after leaving the hospital, 85 percent of patients said staff always or usually explained about new medications, 98 percent of patients said doctors always or usually communicated well and 99 percent of patients said nurses always or usually communicated well.

Like Haggenjos, nurse manager Zina Spahr said the hospital’s smaller size allows it to work individually with patients and know them personally.

For her, it’s special to see a smaller hospital gain recognition for its hard work.

“We’re a small hospital and to be recognized like this … this is what is so exciting because you usually hear about bigger hospitals,” Spahr said. So it’s nice to be a smaller hospital and say, ‘You guys are doing a great job.’”