This is a very prestigious award given nationally for excellent healthcare service. Penobscot Valley Hospital has received the Exceeding Patient Expectations award four out of the last five years.

In making the award announcement, David Medvedeff, PharmD, MBA, CEO of Avatar said, “Exceeding a patient’s expectations reflects an inherent sense of compassion. Penobscot Valley Hospital has succeeded in its aim to putting the needs of the patient first. I congratulate PVH for winning Avatar’s Exceeding Patient Expectations Award.”

Patient surveys are a source of feedback that identify both excellence in care as well as opportunities for improvement. If you are ever an inpatient at Penobscot Valley Hospital, you may receive a survey in the mail asking specific questions about your experience. If you are chosen to be surveyed, please be sure to complete and return it. Your feedback is very important as it provides a means for PVH staff to continuously improve service for patients like you.

Staff at PVH are just beginning Year 4 of their commitment to service excellence. New Service Excellence Advisors have recently been nominated by PVH managers and will serve as role models in customer service. They will also lead departmental “DOIT” (Daily Operational Implementation Tactics) meetings where groups collaborate to improve service.

To enhance patient satisfaction at Penobscot Valley Hospital, staff have implemented a variety of patient-focused programs, including the H.U.S.H. (Help Us Support Healing) program, an initiative that aims to keep noise levels down to create the ideal atmosphere for healing. The Service Excellence Initiative has also been the platform for implementing patient education, promoting vaccinations, conducting peer interviews for staff and a P.A.L.’s program to nicely integrate new hires.

Currently, DOIT groups are working to renumber the patient rooms so that visitors can easily find the room they are looking for. Another group has started conducting patient shadowing experiences. In the past month, two patients have been shadowed by a volunteer during their stay at PVH. Shadowing is being done all over the country to help improve the patient experience. Nursing staff at PVH have already received a few ideas for improvement which they plan to implement as a result of the shadowing experience.

Upon receiving the Exceeding Patient Expectations award, PVH CEO Dave Shannon said, "Receiving the Exceeding Expectations Award is a sign that our Service Excellence Initiative works. The staff here at Penobscot Valley Hospital have really embraced the new culture where we are 100% committed to our patients first. We are seeing those strides in patient satisfaction scores, and other companies like Avatar are recognizing PVH for our achievements as well.”

Avatar (www.avatar-intl.com), a research and consulting company based in Orlando, FL. Avatar serves healthcare organizations nationally, including small community hospitals, academic medical centers, large regional medical centers, integrated healthcare systems, long-term care and behavioral health organizations. Avatar International can be reached at 1-800-282-8274.