For the longest time we have felt patient satisfaction has been one of the strengths of Community Memorial Hospital. This belief has been based on countless conversations, discharge surveys and unsolicited comments and letters. We now also have hard evidence gathered by an independent outside agency to support our assertion.

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) has collected information that measures patients’ perspectives on hospital care. The results, based on discharge data collected from the fourth quarter of 2006 through the second quarter of 2007, are remarkable.

Community Memorial tops upstate hospitals in nine categories, including doctor communication, responsiveness of hospital staff, pain management, discharge information and overall rating, typically by ten and 20 percentage points (complete results are available on the Hospital Quality Alliance's (HQA) Hospital Compare web site).

This data makes clear our patients feel they are treated with care and concern and that their stay at Community Memorial meets or exceeds their expectations. It is a credit to the Medical Staff and our employees who have dedicated themselves to consumer service. Their efforts and commitment obviously are appreciated by the people they care for – our patients.

This survey provides valuable information for the healthcare consumer who can readily see quality healthcare is close to home. For Community Memorial, it is a testament to a job well done.