In The News

West Chester Hospital earns Emergency Center of Excellence Designation

March 21, 2012  |  West Chester Hospital

WEST CHESTER, OH (FOX19) - West Chester Hospital has been nationally recognized as an “Emergency Center of Excellence” by an external benchmarking organization. West Chester Hospital is the only hospital in Ohio to receive the designation this year from the Emergency Excellence group.

The designation was awarded after Emergency Excellence surveyors performed a rigorous review of over 100 key performance indicators linked to the seven “Pillars of Excellence” (safety, satisfaction, space, staff, support, systems and solvency). The review also includes benchmark data collection, and a survey of the emergency department’s physicians, nurses, hospital staff, medical staff and administrators. The award was verified after an on-site assessment.

“West Chester Hospital’s emergency department does a fantastic job,” says Emergency Excellence CEO Mark Reiter, MD, MBA. “Physician-nurse relationships are very good, which translates into excellent patient care. Patients move through the emergency department quickly with minimal waiting time. The West Chester Hospital emergency department’s overall performance is best-in-class.”

West Chester Hospital’s emergency department treats nearly 28,000 patients each year. Unlike most hospital ERs, West Chester’s emergency department uses a unique patient flow process that minimizes the time spent in the waiting room. On average, patients are placed in an emergency department treatment room and see a physician within 15 minutes of arrival.

“As a member of the emergency department team, I am very proud of this achievement,” states Kevin Joseph, MD, president and CEO of West Chester Hospital. Dr. Joseph routinely works in the department as an emergency medicine physician. “This award is certainly validation of our emergency department’s delivery of excellent patient care.”

“Our emergency department team is dedicated to providing our patients with the highest quality care, in a timely manner,” says Kathy Lebowitz, RN, director of the emergency department. “This award recognizes the efforts of our physicians, nurses, staff and leadership team and reflects our commitment to provide exceptional care to our patients.”