September 8, 2004
A report looking at the level of satisfaction among recently hospitalized patients once again placed Centra Health facilities among the top hospitals in the country.

Patient satisfaction measurement experts Press, Ganey Associates tabulated the results of over one half million patient surveys from 896 U.S. hospitals between April 1 and June 30, 2004. Virginia Baptist Hospital was at the 98th percentile and Lynchburg General Hospital scored at the 94th percentile for overall satisfaction.

Ambulatory surgery patients using Centra Health facilities were also far more satisfied with their experiences than their counterparts across the country. Scores for ambulatory surgery patients at Virginia Baptist and Lynchburg General were at the 97th and 95th percentiles respectively.

Centra Health operates one of the busiest emergency departments in Virginia at Lynchburg General Hospital, seeing over 70,000 patients a year. Satisfaction with the ED was at the 93rd percentile among other large emergency departments, and satisfaction with the emergency department physicians was at the 97th percentile.

"We have been rated among the top hospitals in the country for patient satisfaction for several years in a row," said George W. Dawson, president and CEO of Centra Health. "We talk often about the importance of listening to and responding to patients needs, about communicating, about showing compassion and respect. New employees see how seriously we take these issues and they realize this is our culture. They are quite proud to be part of the team."

In addition to looking at stand-alone hospitals, Press, Ganey also issued a report on 126 health systems in the United States. In its survey for the second quarter or 2004, Centra Health was rated at the 98th percentile and Centra Health nurses led the nation, scoring at the 99th percentile.

"Nursing is a challenging job, but it is also so rewarding," said Golden Bethune, senior vice president for patient care services at Centra Health. "We are proud of this recognition and we work very hard to provide the type of positive environment that attracts and retains the best possible nursing staff. Getting the best nurses leads to better patient care."

The Centra Health system includes physician practices in Brookneal, Big Island, Gretna and Lynchburg. In addition, Centra Health operates long term care facilities including Guggenheimer, and the Summit in Lynchburg and Fairmont Crossing in Amherst.