Cass County Health System began a systematic customer service improvement effort in January 2000, utilizing in-house staff leaders to develop a program and educate all staff. After a number of years of moderate improvement, the decision was made to begin working with the Studer Group in 2011. The Administrative Team and Board of Trustees felt that utilizing the Studer Group’s approach would provide the additional boost to move the organization forward; specifically the evidence-based tools and team accountability to an organizational coach. After completing four full years of Studer training and implementation, the results speak for themselves.
Perhaps most telling is the dramatic improvement in employee engagement, as measured annually. Staff response to the overall satisfaction question moved from a mean score of 3.09/27th percentile in 2012 to a mean score of 3.42/90th percentile in 2016. This dramatic increase is attributed to the organizational commitment to Studer tools such as Rounding for Outcomes, Monthly Meetings, Senior Leader Rounding, Stoplight Reports, Employee Forums, AIDET and Leadership Development Institutes. Providing leadership with stronger management skills via the Studer method of repeated teaching and validation also supports this improvement. In 2013 CCHS began utilizing the Leader Evaluation Manager to provide specific, measurable goals for the organization, individual leaders and staff teams. Having this set of cascading, measurable goals has provided direction and accountability which also enhance employee engagement and satisfaction.
Patient engagement has increased, too, particularly in the Emergency Department and Inpatient Services where the improvement efforts were initially focused. Hourly rounding, AIDET, huddles and other tools have assisted staff in communicating more effectively with patients, enhancing their engagement and clinical outcomes. In the inpatient setting, CCHS has achieved significant improvement in a relatively short period of time according to HCAHPS service and quality measures. In four years, the Overall Rating of Care moved 9.9 percentage points, Responsiveness moved 7.6 percentage points and Nurse Communication moved 4.7 percentage points. Cleanliness has moved 7.8 percentage points in those four years. Patient falls have steadily decreased, from 21 in 2013 to 11 in 2015. With recent emphasis on the Studer tools and higher engagement of providers developed by attending Studer physician conferences, the primary care clinic scores have improved from single digit overall satisfaction to over the 50th percentile, and continue to climb.
All of these improvement efforts have been achieved as the health system completed a $25 million dollar expansion and renovation project in 2014, yet CCHS still maintains more than 240 days cash on hand with a total margin of 6.25%, earning 5 ratings on these key organizational LEM goals.
Cass County Health System: Neighbors Caring for Neighbors
At Cass County Health System (CCHS), we unite more than 350 individuals with one common goal—to provide the highest quality medical care possible in a compassionate, caring manner. We care for patients from all walks of life with medical needs ranging from minor aches and pains to life-threatening emergencies, and everything in between. CCHS has grown from humble beginnings as a county hospital and independent clinic, which both opened their doors in 1968. Today we have brought local healthcare providers and services together to create one unified system that provides a superior experience for our patients, families and communities. CCHS affiliates include Cass County Memorial Hospital, Atlantic Medical Center, Southwest Iowa Mental Health Center, Eye Associates, and Southwest Iowa Surgery.
With the recent renovation and expansion, CCHS now boasts new and updated facilities including private inpatient rooms, an expanded primary care clinic, state-of-the-art surgical suites, a therapy pool and an in-house MRI. The health system provides a full complement of ancillary services including Respiratory Care, 24-hour Emergency Department, Behavioral Health Services, Surgery, Rehabilitation Services (physical, speech and occupational therapies), Cardiac Rehab, Obstetrics, and Diagnostic Imaging (MRI, CT Scan, mammography, digital radiography, and more).
As a critical access hospital, Cass County Memorial Hospital has 25 acute and swing beds and 4 distinct behavioral health beds. The active medical staff includes seven family medicine doctors, one OB/GYN, one otolaryngologist, one psychiatrist, one podiatrist, one general surgeon, one orthopedic surgeon and one emergency department physician. These board-certified physicians provide care in the hospital’s emergency and inpatient departments, as well as in the health system clinics. There are 13 advanced practice providers who also provide care throughout the health system. The Atlantic Medical Center also manages primary care clinics in Griswold, Massena, and Anita.
Residents are also served by outpatient clinics with specialties including Allergy/Asthma, Cardiology, Dermatology, Gynecologic Oncology, Hemodialysis, Nephrology, Neurosurgery, Oncology, Opthalmology, Pediatric Cardiology, Pulmonology, Urology, and Vascular Medicine. Plastic/Reconstructive Surgery clinics are scheduled to begin in July 2016. As our community needs change, we adapt our services and clinics to meet those needs. We work hard to provide our patients with the specialty care they need close to home.
At Cass County Health System, we believe in the values of respect, communication, accountability, and customer service. We take to heart our slogan, “Neighbors Caring for Neighbors” and look forward to caring for our neighbors for many years to come.
Awards
- 2014 – HealthStream Excellence through Insight Award, Most Improved Employee Satisfaction
- 2015 – Des Moines Register Top 150 Workplace Award (#32 in the mid-size business category)
- 2015 – Young Professionals Choice Workplace, Young Professionals of Atlantic, Iowa
- 2016 – Digital Health Awards Merit Award