DERBY - By delivering on its commitment to providing exceptional patient-centered care that improves the health and well-being of those that it services, Griffin Hospital was recently recognized by Newsweek as one of the World’s Best Hospitals, and posted the highest scores in Connecticut for patient satisfaction in a national patient experience of care survey.
Griffin was named among the World’s Best Hospitals by Newsweek for the fourth consecutive year.
The World’s Best Hospitals recognition is based on responses to an online survey sent to nearly 80,000 medical experts in 27 countries as well as recommendations from medical experts, hospital performance data and patient satisfaction.
Griffin was one of just four Connecticut hospitals to receive the 2022 World’s Best recognition.
Additionally, Griffin achieved the highest ratings among Connecticut hospitals for patient experience according to the latest Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey results published by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (July 2020 - March 2021).
In this national, publicly-reported survey of patients' perception of hospital care, Griffin had the highest average score across all survey domains. In addition, Griffin Hospital was rated highest in the state on five of 10 individual domains including Overall Satisfaction and Patient Willingness to Recommend
“These achievements are a tribute to Griffin’s dedication to delivering on our Planetree person-centered care promise and exceeding patient expectations for service, quality, and safety even when faced with overwhelming challenges,” said Griffin Health President and CEO Patrick Charmel.
Caregivers in hospitals across Connecticut performed courageously and with tremendous dedication throughout the pandemic. Griffin was able to distinguish itself during this challenging time by relying on its core philosophy of kindness, caring and respect as defined by the internationally recognized Planetree patient-centered model. Griffin’s commitment to this care philosophy enabled it to care for patients’ medical needs, while continuing to meet their wide-ranging human needs for understanding, compassion, community and companionship.
Planetree International flagship hospital
Griffin is the flagship hospital of Planetree International, a consumer healthcare organization that assists hospitals and medical institutions around the world to improve healthcare outcomes through a person-centered approach to care.
In addition to Griffin, 33 Planetree hospitals in 7 countries were among those named to the 2022 Newsweek World’s Best Hospitals List. Each of these top hospitals has implemented the Planetree model which prioritizes the active participation of patients and families with an emphasis on compassion, transparency, equity and community partnerships.
This care philosophy has helped Griffin maintain consistently high patient satisfaction scores as the hospital set the standard for a healing healthcare environment and a care delivery model that welcomes the involvement of patients and families as members of the care team.
Following these principles, Griffin quickly renovated a section of its ER and adapted a hospital wing into a dedicated COVID-19 unit at the start of the pandemic to meet the surge of infected patients and for the optimal safety of its caregivers and other patients.
These COVID-19 areas were designed to provide patients with greater privacy and were staffed by highly skilled physicians, nurses, and support staff who exemplify Griffin’s compassionate and caring culture.
Throughout the pandemic, recognizing the essential role of family caregivers, Griffin and Planetree International advocated for preserving in-person family presence in hospitals and long-term care facilities. While many hospitals maintained rigid no-visitor policies well into the pandemic, Griffin preserved visitor presence for the benefit of patients’ physical, emotional and psychological health. This advocacy culminated in more than 60 organizations that participated in an international “pop-up coalition” convened by Planetree.
The coalition established guidelines for compassionate visitation policies that balance the benefits of family’s physical presence during a healthcare episode with the need to minimize the risks of transmission of COVID-19. Released in the spring of 2020, the recommendations provided guidance to healthcare leaders and local and regional authorities on what constitutes responsible, compassionate family presence during a public health crisis.
Griffin’s commitment to empowering individuals to become informed and active participants in improving their health and well-being and to advancing health care equity compelled the hospital to play a leading role in statewide community COVID-19 testing, and in testing the residents and staff at skilled nursing facilities across Connecticut.
Subsequently, when the COVID-19 vaccines were introduced, Griffin partnered with local health departments, community based organizations and the Connecticut Department of Public Health to organize accessible vaccination clinics in the state’s major cities and in communities across Connecticut with high vaccine hesitancy and socially vulnerable populations.
Charmel credits Griffin’s caregivers for rising to the occasion and for caring for the community in ways never before considered.
“Griffin’s extraordinary caregivers have displayed awe inspiring levels of ingenuity, dedication and compassion. The recognition Griffin has received for producing the highest level of patient satisfaction and as a perennial World’s Best Hospital is because of each of them.”
This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.
