Boone Memorial Hospital, a critical access hospital in rural West Virginia is on the move to excellence. Its new facility, featuring all new equipment and almost tripling the size of the former Boone Memorial was opened in 2016. Since then…the hospital staff and administration have worked tirelessly to add and expand services, while enhancing quality care. This dedication and patient centered focus has earned the hospital various prestigious awards in 2018.
On National Rural Health Day, Boone Memorial Hospital announced its recognition by The Chartis Center for Rural Health and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) for overall excellence in Patient Perspectives, reflecting top quartile performance among all rural hospitals in the nation. Boone Memorial Hospital is among only 14 West Virginia rural providers recognized for overall excellence in 2018.
The Gold Donate Life Award is presented to hospitals committed to increasing the number of donated organs, eyes and tissue available for transplant to save and heal lives. Boone Memorial has been an active supporter of the CORE initiative and holds various awareness events annually, including a flag raising ceremony each April.
Boone Memorial received the Joint Commission Gold Seal of National Quality Approval. The Joint Commission is a United States-based nonprofit organization that accredits more than 21,000 US health care organizations and programs. Joint Commission surveys are unannounced, with some exceptions. A survey is designed to be individualized to each organization, to be consistent, and to support the organization’s efforts to improve performance. Receiving the gold seal means a hospital is meeting quality standard measures.
Boone Memorial Hospital received the highly coveted 5 star rating, the highest achievement level possible, from CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). Hospitals report data to CMS, which is the federal agency that runs the Medicare program, through the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program and the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program.
The overall hospital rating includes 57 of the more than 100 measures reported on Hospital Compare, divided into 7 measure groups or categories; mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care, and efficient use of medical imaging. The overall hospital rating shows how well each hospital performed, on average, compared to other hospitals in the U.S. The rating ranges from 1 to 5 stars. The more stars, the better a hospital performed on the available quality measures. The most common overall hospital rating is 3 stars. Boone Memorial exceeded expectations with their 5 star rating.
At the WVHA (West Virginia Hospital Association) Annual Meeting, Boone Memorial Hospital was the recipient of the Over the Top Hospital (under 100 beds) award. This award goes to the hospital with under 100 beds that exceeded its goal by the largest percentage. Boone Memorial Hospital exceeded its goal by 233%.
The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at Boone Memorial Hospital received a $47,000 grant from the Logan Healthcare Foundation. The grant will allow the program to purchase new equipment and expand hours, which will result in better serving those affected by any pulmonary disease.
The Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) awarded accreditation to the Boone Memorial Laboratory Department. The award was based on results of an on-site inspection as part of the CAP’s Accreditation Programs.
During the CAP accreditation process, designed to ensure the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and record, and overall management.
“We are thrilled to be recognized,” said Boone Memorial Hospital CEO Virgil Underwood. “Patient satisfaction is of utmost importance to us. We strive to continually improve in all aspects of performance and leadership, with patient quality being at the forefront. These awards are a true testament to the hard work and dedication among our employees and board of directors.”
