2009-07-22 14:57:31 AAMC is Sole Maryland Hospital to Receive HealthGrades 2009-2010 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ Hospital also ranks in the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide Annapolis, Md.  (July 22, 2009) – Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) is the only hospital in the state of Maryland to receive the 2009/2010 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ from HealthGrades, an independent health care ratings organization.  This distinct award positions AAMC ahead of 41 other Maryland hospitals that participated in the survey and among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for outstanding patient experience, as determined by HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) a national, standardized patient survey. Nationwide, more than 3,700 hospitals took part in the survey, which compiled data from July 2007-June 2008. This is the first national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients’ perspectives of hospital care. HCAHPS is an initiative of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “AAMC is honored that our patients have ranked our hospital among the state’s and the nation’s best for patient experience,” said Martin L. Doordan, president and chief executive officer of Anne Arundel Health System, the parent company of AAMC.  “The HCAHPS data is one of the greatest indicators of patient satisfaction available to a hospital because the information comes directly from the patients we treat.  The award truly speaks to the dedication, compassion, and care delivered by our nurses, physicians, administrators, and volunteers.” In the HCAHPS survey, patients across the country are asked the same 27 questions, which are consolidated into 10 measures. This makes it easy to compare patient experiences at hospitals. Those measures are: how well nurses in the hospitals communicate with patients how well doctors in the hospitals communicate with patients how responsive the hospital staff is to patient needs how well the hospital staff helps the patient manage pain how well the staff communicates with the patient about medicines whether pertinent information was provided when the patient was discharged the cleanliness of the patient’s room the quietness of the patient’s room the overall rating of the hospital whether the patient would recommend the hospital to others About AAMC Founded in 1902 as a not-for-profit community hospital to serve the Maryland state capital of Annapolis, AAMC has evolved into a regional health care system serving more than one million people in Maryland.  With more than 300 licensed beds, AAMC admits more than 23,000 people every year, sees 76,100 patients in the emergency room annually, and delivers more than 5,600 babies each year, the second largest number of deliveries in the state.  An employer of more than 3,300 individuals, AAMC is entering the final phase of its $424 million expansion project, which will add 50 private rooms, expanded medical services, and more physicians’ offices to the campus. More information about AAMC can be found at www.aahs.org. About HealthGrades HealthGrades is the leading independent health care ratings organization, providing quality ratings, profiles and cost information on the nation’s hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, and prescription drugs. Millions of patients, and many of the nation’s largest employers, health plans and hospitals, rely on HealthGrades’ quality ratings, advisory services and decision-support services. More information on the company can be found at www.healthgrades.com.Outstanding Patient Experience Award Methodology To identify the top-performing hospitals, HealthGrades analyzed survey results for the 3,711 hospitals nationwide that participated in the HCAHPS program during the study time period to determine which hospitals scored highest on the surveys. Hospitals had to meet bed size, survey response size, and clinical-quality thresholds in order to be eligible for the award. The methodology is available at www.HealthGrades.com. Media Contacts AAMC Justin Paquette, 443-481-4712 jpaquette@aahs.org HealthGrades Scott Shapiro, 720-963-6584 sshapiro@healthgrades.com