Emergency Department staff members at Grundy County Memorial Hospital include, front row, left to right: Heather Steding, RN; Charity Fecht, RN; Kayla Anderson, RN; Back row, left to right: Dr. Jeffrey Curnes, Dr. Lenard Kerr, registration lead Jeanie Larson, and department clerk Shelly Johnson. The department was awarded the Summit Award® for Patient Satisfaction, which places it in the top 1% of hospitals nationwide.

The Emergency Department of Grundy County Memorial Hospital is among health care providers from across the country recently recognized as top performers. The 2011 Summit Award recognizes hospitals that sustain the highest level of performance in meeting patient satisfaction for three or more consecutive years.

Members of the GCMH Emergency Department Team and hospital CEO Pam Delagardelle accepted the award from Press Ganey, which partners with more than 10,000 health care facilities, including 50% of all U.S. hospitals, to measure and improve the quality of their care. GCMH has utilized Press Ganey to assess patient satisfaction for the past four years, and its Emergency Department scored in the top 1% of all hospitals that were measured. says credit for the Summit Award belongs to the hospital staff, who routinely exceed patient expectations. “Receiving this kind of national recognition means that our staff has reached and sustained the highest level of patient satisfaction for three years in a row,” remarks Delagardelle. “Our high ranking demonstrates that our staff is consistently delivering skilled care, treating our patients and their families well, and listening to patient needs.”

Emergency Department manager JoDee Knox says the recognition reflects the caring and concern of each department member, whether it’s physicians, nurses, or registration staff. “Patients who arrive for emergency service are nervous and scared, and the staff here does a great job of alleviating that stress by demonstrating care and compassion. At the same time, we’re dedicated to obtaining the best outcome for each patient we see.”

More than 2700 emergency visits were recorded at GCMH in the past year, and the Press Ganey company compiles its results based on patient survey responses. Grundy County Memorial Hospital is one of 98 organizations to receive the Press Ganey Summit Awardin 2011, and one of just 87 who received the award for the second year in a row. The Emergency Department is staffed by providers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The hospital’s Emergency entrance is accessible from 1st Street in Grundy Center, one block south of Iowa Highway 175E.