J.D. Power and Associates Reports:
Catawba Valley Medical Center Recognized for Providing an Outstanding Inpatient Experience for a Second Consecutive Year (2008)

Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) has been recognized for two consecutive years for service excellence under the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital ProgramSM.  This distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by Catawba Valley Medical Center to provide “An Outstanding Inpatient Experience.”

“Catawba Valley Medical Center has demonstrated its commitment to service excellence by earning this recognition for a second year,” said Kevin Lieb, senior director of provider programs at J.D. Power and Associates. “Patients place a high value on the service aspects of their hospital stay, so providing them with a consistently positive experience is crucial.”

The service excellence distinction was determined by surveying recently discharged CVMC patients about their perceptions of their hospital stay and comparing the results to the national benchmarks established by the annual J.D. Power and Associates National Hospital Service Performance StudySM.

The telephone-based research conducted among CVMC patients focused on the five key drivers of patient satisfaction with their overall inpatient experience. These drivers, which were identified in the national study, are speed and efficiency; dignity and respect; comfort; information and communication; and emotional support.

CVMC exceeds the national benchmark study score for overall inpatient satisfaction and performs particularly well, compared with the national study, in speed and efficiency. The hospital receives notably high ratings for the nurses’ promptness in responding and the speed and efficiency of the discharge personnel.
 
CVMC also performs well relative to the national study in providing patients with dignity and respect. Additionally, a majority of CVMC patients indicate they would recommend the hospital to others and would return to the hospital if needed.

“We believe that the opinions of our patients are the greatest measures of our success,” said J. Anthony Rose, president and CEO of Catawba Valley Medical Center. “We value the relationships we develop with our patients and their families and believe they contribute to the best clinical outcomes. I am pleased that we have earned the J.D. Power recognition for a second year and I assure the people we serve that we will continue to invest in the professional staff, services, and new technology that lead to the quality services they deserve.”