As part of the National Rural Health Day celebration, the Dallas County Hospital (DCH) has been recognized with a 2022 Performance Leadership Award for excellence in Quality and Patient Perspective, the hospital announced Thursday.
Compiled by the Chartis Center for Rural Health, the Performance Leadership Awards honor top-quartile performance — that is, in the 75th percentile or above — among rural hospitals in quality, outcomes and patient perspective.
The Performance Leadership Awards are based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, which Chartis calls the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. INDEX data is trusted and relied upon by rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints, hospital associations and state offices of rural health across the country in order to measure and monitor performance across several areas impacting hospital operations and finance.
“Although the last two years have placed unprecedented pressure on the rural health safety net, the dedication to serving the community that we’re so accustomed to seeing from rural hospitals across the country hasn’t wavered,” said Michael Topchik, leader of the Chartis Center for Rural Health. “Let us celebrate the power of rural on National Rural Health Day and honor the facilities working tirelessly to provide access to high-quality healthcare services to their communities.”
Quality is measured in several ways through the hospital system, most recognizably through readmissions, which DCH traditionally experiences at a very low rate. Each department is also assigned a quality goal, both clinical and non-clinical, with department directors held accountable for continuously providing high-quality service.
Patient perspective is captured through post-care patient surveys administered by Press Ganey. These assess our performance in quality of care, communication and other factors and are reviewed monthly by department directors. Departments with exceptional scores are applauded while also recognizing areas of opportunity.
For more information about the Chartis Center for Rural Health and the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX, contact Billy Balfour at wbalfour@chartis.com.
Tom Harmsen is the PR and marketing director, recruiter and DCH Foundation firector at the Dallas County Hospital and Family Medicine Clinics.
