Hospital home health care staff receives top honor.

LUDINGTON — The Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital Home Health Care department has earned a 5-star rating for patient experience, the highest possible, on the U. S. Government’s Home Health Compare web site.

The exceptional rating resulted from the response of area at-home patients to the care they received from the home health care staff, measured in independent surveys conducted by the Press Ganey organization.

The federal government’s official Medicare.gov site has issued star ratings this year for the first time, including those for home health care organizations, seeking to help consumers make health care decisions with a more easily understood rating system.

“The fact that this high rating comes directly from our patients is very meaningful to us,” said Patricia Olson, director of home health care at Ludington Hospital.

“I’m very proud of what our people have achieved through their extraordinary caring attitude and skill. We have nurses, rehabilitation therapists, a social worker and home health aides who are assisting people in homes throughout the area,” Olson added. “No matter the weather they are dedicated to providing medical care to those who would find it difficult to come to a medical provider.”

Helen Johnson, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at the hospital, also attributed the result to a “culture of excellence by the staff and leadership of the department.”

“They have built a team that constantly seeks to go above and beyond expectations. They always have outstanding patient care as their central concern, and it shows in these ratings.”

“At every staff meeting, Patty and the home health care team discuss the patient experience and how to make it the best possible,” Johnson said. “They review comments from our patients and recognize staff for their achievements in patient satisfaction.”

The Spectrum Health Ludington Home Health Care staff has also exceeded the national average on the various quality of care rankings at Home Health Compare. Their cumulative score on the various measures was 3.5 stars, compared with a national average of 3.0.

More information on home health care services at Ludington Hospital is available at www.spectrumhealth.org/Ludington, or by calling 231.845.2270 or 800.843.6061.