AAMC receives five patient satisfaction excellence awards from The Jackson Organization.

Anne Arundel Medical Center has been honored with five patient satisfaction excellence awards by a prestigious health care market research company, strengthening its reputation as a health care destination of choice in the region.

AAMC received the honors from The Jackson Organization for exceeding health care industry standards in four categories: inpatient obstetrics/gynecologic care, inpatient surgical care (Center for Spine Surgery), inpatient orthopedics (Joint Replacement Center), and outpatient same-day surgery (Ambulatory Surgery Center, Edwards Surgical Pavilion).

AAMC also took second place for overall inpatient satisfaction in the large hospital category, for a total of five awards. It was the first time a health care organization earned five patient satisfaction awards in one year from The Jackson Organization. The honors were presented in October at the organization’s national annual conference in Williamsburg, Va.

“These awards are a true testament to the staff’s energy and spirit and commitment to delivering the best patient care,” said Martin L. Doordan, president of Anne Arundel Health System, the parent company of Anne Arundel Medical Center. “We know patients have choices where to receive their health care. And we want AAMC to be their health care destination of choice.”

The Jackson Organization surveyed patients from more than 200 hospitals nationwide, then ranked the hospitals in three categories: small (under 100 beds), medium (between 100-200 beds), and large (between 200-400 beds). With 265 beds, AAMC is in the highly competitive large-hospital category. A total of 46 hospitals competed in that category.

The survey included questions about:

• The registration process.
• The kindness shown by the patient care staff.
• How well the staff explained the procedure to the patient.
• The coordination of care between nurses, physicians and support staff.
• How well the patient’s pain was managed.

Dave Jackson, president and chief executive officer of The Jackson Organization, noted the importance of excellent customer service, especially when consumers have choices. “In a time when patients have more choices, it is important that hospitals recognize the impact that improving patient satisfaction has throughout the organization. It can help reduce employee turnover and increase employee and physician satisfaction, impact business outcomes and provide for increase admission and referrals. All of this leads to improved clinical outcomes for the patients.”

Shirley Knelly, AAMC’s vice president of quality and patient safety, said, “Across the board – from registration through course of care to discharge – our staff takes our core values of compassion, quality, innovation, trust and dedication very seriously. They continuously strive to focus on the needs of our patients. They focus on providing high quality care in every interaction with a patient.”

Anne Arundel Medical Center, founded in 1902 as a not-for-profit community hospital to serve the state capital of Annapolis, has evolved into a regional health care system serving a population of nearly one million in Maryland.

Founded in 1997, The Jackson Organization is a full-service health care market research company whose mission is to make the discoveries that lead to total quality care and competitive advantage. The Jackson Organization is headquartered in Laurel, Maryland, with offices in Seattle, Washington.