Press Release
GRMC named a top hospital by Becker’s Hospital Review
(Oakland, MD)- Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC) has been named a top hospital for patient experience by Becker’s Hospital Review, a leading publication of the health care industry. This distinction recognizes GRMC as being among the top five hospitals for patient experience in the state of Maryland. In addition to GRMC, other Maryland hospitals to make the list include John Hopkins Hospital and Mercy Medical Center, both in Baltimore; Atlantic General Hospital, in Berlin; and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda.
“It is our mission at GRMC to treat each patient like a member of our own family,” said Mark Boucot, GRMC president and CEO. “It is that personal level of care that makes a difference to our patients. Being recognized at this level is a testament to our dedicated staff and the incredible work they do every day. Even through these challenging times, we continuously strive to deliver excellent health care to our community.”
Becker’s Hospital Review used data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAPS) scores and other information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to find the top hospitals in each state. HCAHPS is a nationally conducted survey that hospitals in the United States use to assess how patients perceive a recent hospital stay. Patients are polled on several topics, including nurse and doctor communication, responsiveness of hospital staff, and communication about medicine, discharge information, and care transition.
While some states had as many as 15 hospitals listed, Maryland had only five. Of the five, only Garrett Regional Medical Center and Mercy Medical Center received five-star ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2020.
Recognition for its excellent patient experience is one of several top honors Garrett Regional Medical Center has received this year. In addition to its coveted 5-star rating by the CMS, GRMC was named a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital by the Chartis Group for the second year in a row, and received an ‘A’ grade for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, which grades patient safety at hospitals throughout the country.
Mr. Boucot says much credit for GRMC’s excellent care goes to the hospital’s staff and the frontline councils through which they bring ideas, suggestions, and concerns to management.
“All of the statistics that reflect the excellent care we provide here at Garrett Regional Medical Center – the lowest readmission rate in the state, the top rated hospital in the state for reducing hospital-acquired conditions, a surgical site infection rate far lower than the national average –stem in part from the input our frontline staff provides on issues they see on a daily basis. We’ve changed processes and policies based on input received through our Patient Safety, Patient Experience, and Employee Engagement councils, which are open to any employee to attend. We listen to our staff, and I think the quality care our patients receive is a direct result of that,” continued Mr. Boucot.
Garrett Regional Medical Center is an award winning, progressive, Joint Commission accredited acute care facility with 55 inpatient beds in Oakland, Maryland. The hospital serves a population of 46,000 within Garrett County and surrounding communities in Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Originally established in 1950, the hospital has continuously evolved to advance the health and wellness needs of the region. Through its clinical affiliation with WVU Medicine, GRMC offers comprehensive health care services unique to a rural location. GRMC is one of the county’s largest employers with more than 450 team members, who are each dedicated to our mission of striving to treat every patient like family. Learn more at https://www.grmc-wvumedicine.org/
