St. Luke’s Health System hospitals in Boise and Twin Falls have received the Healthgrades 2015 Outstanding Patient Experience Award^™. St. Luke’s was identified as providing outstanding performance in the delivery of a positive experience for patients during their hospital stay, according to Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.

St. Luke’s performance in Boise and Twin Falls places the organizations among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation. It was the second consecutive year the Boise medical center has received the national designation and the first year the Twin Falls medical center has been recognized.

Healthgrades evaluated the 3,575 hospitals that submitted patient surveys to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), covering admissions from January 2013 to December 2013 in order to identify hospital performance in this area.

“As part of St. Luke’s Health System’s efforts to transform health care, we have focused on better health, better care, and lower costs,” said Dr. David Pate, president and chief executive officer of St. Luke’s Health System.

“Foundational to this transformation and to improving care has been transformation of the patient experience,” he said. “It is very gratifying to receive this external validation of all the work and effort that has been put into placing the patient’s needs first and putting the patient at the center of all we do. When we are given the privilege of caring for a patient, we realize we are caring for our family, friends, and neighbors, and we want our excellence to shine at all times.”

Healthgrades evaluated performance by applying a scoring methodology to 10 patient experience measures, using data collected from a 27-question survey of the hospitals’ own patients. The survey questions focus on patients’ perspectives of their care in the hospital. Question topics range from cleanliness and noise levels in patient rooms to factors such as pain management and responsiveness to patients’ needs. The measures also include whether a patient would recommend the hospital to friends or family.

In order to be recognized by Healthgrades, hospitals must meet eligibility requirements for consideration, which in addition to number of survey responses, includes clinical performance thresholds. Nationally, 3,005 hospitals met those requirements with 452 hospitals outperforming their peers, based on their patients’ responses in order to achieve this distinction.

“Today, more than ever before, consumers face decisions – and research their options – relating to where to obtain care, so factors like patient experience are increasingly important,” said Evan Marks, chief strategy officer for Healthgrades. “Consumers can have confidence that hospitals that have achieved the Healthgrades 2015 Outstanding Patient Experience Award deliver a positive experience for the patient during their hospital stay.”

“I am so proud of the employees, volunteers, and physicians of St. Luke’s Health System and offer them my congratulations for this outstanding achievement,” Dr. Pate said. “This recognition is the result of everyone working together, focused on delivering the best possible care and giving patients and their families the best possible experience.

“A great experience further engages patients in their own care and contributes to the nationally-recognized patient outcomes St. Luke’s has achieved on behalf of all we are privileged to serve,” he said.

For more information about Healthgrades, to download a full copy of the report or to get information about hospital and physician quality, visit www.Healthgrades.com.