Clovis hospital receives state awards

CLOVIS — Plains Regional Medical Center recently received a pair of statewide awards related to the quality of care at the hospital, according to a PRMC press release.

The hospital earned the Hospital Innovation Improvement Network Award from the New Mexico Hospital Association and the 2018 Hospital Quality Award from HealthInsight, a nonprofit organization seeking to improve health care in New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.

“Honestly it just speaks to the quality of care we provide at the hospital,” Chief Nursing Executive Jorge Cruz said. “It speaks to the commitment of the staff in regards to providing the highest quality of care and the safety of our patients. It’s just validation for us that the hard work that we put in is paying off.”

Reducing the rate of readmission, or the number of times patients have to return to the hospital shortly after being discharged, played a role in both awards PRMC received.

The HIIN Award was based off a two-year period from 2016 to 2018 in which PRMC was recognized for its decrease in hospital readmissions and surgical site infections.

According to NMHA Director of Quality and Patient Safety Dan Lanari, in 2016 the hospital’s rate of readmission within 30 days was just under 5 percent while the current rate is just under 3 percent.

Cruz said physicians, nurses and members of the case management office all came together to address the issue of readmission.

“Honestly we just put a team together and went over all of our readmissions and put a plan together to address whatever we needed to address to bring those numbers down,” Cruz said.

“I think ultimately it’s about providing the highest quality of care. So readmissions, we want to avoid those so that when we send our patients home, we know that they are ready to go home and do not warrant having to come back to seek further medical attention.”

In addition to readmission rates and healthcare-associated infections, the HealthInsight Quality Award was also based on patient surveys that gives the patient’s perspective on the quality of the care, according to HealthInsight New Mexico Communications Manager Anna Dykeman.

Cruz said it was especially meaningful to hear that positive feedback from the people who are actually receiving care from the hospital.

“Those are our customers so when you have the opportunity to meet the expectation of the customer, you know that things are going well,” Cruz said.

Fourteen other New Mexico hospitals also earned the HIIN Award and seven other state hospitals earned the 2018 HealthInsight Hospital Quality Award.

“Obviously it’s something that we’re extremely proud of,” Cruz said. “Any time you put in hard work towards something and get recognized for that hard work, it’s always rewarding. So we’re absolutely proud.”