Mission Health receives national award for "culture of excellence"

Leaders from the healthcare industry recently gathered for the Excellence in Healthcare Conference, and Mission Health took home one of the event’s top prizes: the 2016 Culture of Excellence Award.

The conference, hosted by Professional Research Consultants (PRC) and the Institute for Healthcare Excellence, is dedicated to helping hospitals improve their patients’ experiences.  And that is an area where Mission Health is standing out from its peers.   

“Mission Health has shown a commitment to providing resources that enable excellence in the workforce by training physicians and allied health professionals in communication skills, developing an atmosphere of teamwork and trust and enhancing the patient experience,” PRC said in a release about its award winners.

“Focusing on the experience of the patient is paramount when seeking to continuously improve how we deliver care - it's our most sensitive quality measure,” said Ronald A. Paulus, M.D., President and CEO of Mission Health. “We also believe that it’s past time to extend that focus on providing the best possible experience to our caregivers.”

Paulus explained that Mission Health has invested millions in programs to help train and reduce stress and burnout for its doctors, nurses and employees.  The healthcare system is also investing in new equipment and upgrading facilities throughout western North Carolina to ensure quality care and comfort for patients and staff.

“Leaders can't achieve outcomes - they can only create an environment that enables people to use their strengths to be their very best,” he said.  “It’s the nurses, physicians, environmental service technicians, finance staff and others who do their jobs with compassion and skill every day that make recognitions like this possible.  This award is a tribute to our caregivers and it belongs to them.”

PRC noted that Mission Health has improved quality outcomes and reduced error rates as a result of its commitment to “the pursuit of excellence and…measuring excellence across its patient base, its employee base and its physicians.”

The 17^th Excellence in Healthcare Conference was held in Miami, Fla., from May 18 to 21.