When it comes to excellence in patient experience, the UConn John Dempsey Hospital is among the top 10% in the nation, according to the national health care marketing firm Healthgrades.

The honor comes only four years after UConn Health established its Office of Patient Experience, and is a fitting achievement to announce during Patient Experience Week, which runs through April 29.

“We are particularly honored to receive this award because it is directly based on feedback from our patients,” says Cindy Molin, vice president for patient experience. “The award gives our patients a voice in recognizing the commitment of our physicians, nurses, techs, staff, and trainees in providing an exceptional patient experience and reflects our top-notch clinical care and health outcomes.”

This award is a testament to the partnership and support of our hospital leadership and their dedication, innovation, and patient-centered approach. — Cindy Molin

Using feedback and survey results directly from patients, Healthgrades evaluates the data against 10 patient experience benchmarks and reserves the Outstanding Patient Experience Award for those in the top 15%. Only two hospitals in the state received the 2023 award, and John Dempsey is the only Connecticut hospital among the top 10% in the U.S.

“We applaud all recipients of the Healthgrades 2023 Outstanding Patient Experience Award for putting patient experience front and center within their organizations,” says Dr. Brad Bowman, chief medical officer and head of data science at Healthgrades. “We commend these hospitals for their ongoing commitment to prioritizing an exceptional patient experience, while ensuring the health and safety of their patients.”

For this annual analysis, Healthgrades evaluated 3,138 hospitals that submitted at least 100 patient experience surveys to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, covering admissions from January through December 2021. Of those hospitals evaluated, 419 hospitals outperformed their peers to achieve this award.

“We’ve focused on building a foundation of trust,” Molin says. “We have advanced policies, processes, and training to promote consistency across interactions, functions and locations. This has created a culture of transparency in patient feedback, allowing for follow up and service recovery when needed. These efforts, combined with a commitment to safe, compassionate, high-quality care, contribute to our position as a leader in patient experience.”

Survey questions focus on patients’ perspectives of their care in the hospital, from cleanliness and noise levels in patient rooms to medication explanations and hospital staff responsiveness to patients’ needs. The measures also include whether a patient would recommend the hospital to friends or family and their overall rating of the hospital.

“This honor is an incredible validation of John Dempsey Hospital’s commitment to the patient experience,” says Caryl Ryan, the hospital’s chief operating officer and vice president for quality and patient care services, and UConn Health’s chief nursing officer. “The overall patient experience is also a great indicator of our continued success within clinical quality outcomes. This award truly recognizes the outstanding work that our faculty and staff perform every day in their dedicated service to our patients.”

The primary functions of UConn Health’s Office of Patient Experience include volunteer and guest services, patient relations and post-discharge call management, performance analytics and improvement, and interpreter services.

“Health care is the ultimate team sport,” Molin says. “To me, this award is a testament to the partnership and support of our hospital leadership and their dedication, innovation, and patient-centered approach. It showcases our strong culture of safety and quality, and the commitment of our care teams to provide care that is compassionate and connected.”

To learn more about the Office of Patient Experience, email opx@uchc.edu. Patient concerns and questions can go to patientrelations@uchc.edu or 860-679-3176.