Flashes

Health Flashes - March 2009

University Medical Center has received the 2009 Outstanding Patient Experience Award from HealthGrades, the nation’s leading independent health care ratings organization, for ranking in the top 15 percent nationally for exemplary service to patients. UMC far exceeded the top 15 percent; its percentile ranking was 3.71, placing it among the top 4 percent in the nation. The ratings are based on patient satisfaction results from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey that hospital patients provided as part of a new federal initiative to increase public reporting of hospital performance. The survey includes 27 questions related to physician and nurse communication, responsiveness, hospital cleanliness and noise levels, medication information, and post-discharge care instructions. It is the first national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients’ perspectives of hospital care.

Amedisys Home Health of Lafayette has been accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care Inc. for home health and hospice services. ACHC, a private, not-for-profit corporation certified to ISO 9001:2000 standards, was developed by home care and community-based providers to help companies improve business operations and quality of patient care. Accreditation is a voluntary activity whereby health care organizations submit to peer review of their internal policies, processes and patient care delivery against national standards.

Ed Broussard has been named director of pharmacy at Our Lady of Lourdes. Broussard is a registered pharmacist with more than 31 years of leadership experience. In addition to managing the pharmacy departments at several local hospitals, Broussard also owned and operated Ed’s Pharmacy Inc. Broussard earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from UL Monroe and an MBA from UL Lafayette.

The Autism Society of Acadiana will hold its 3rd annual Autism Walk for Hope and Family Fun Day on March 28 at Parc International in downtown Lafayette from 8 a.m. to noon. The Walk for Hope is a day of wholesome family fun to raise autism awareness in Acadiana. There will be food, beverages, music, fun jumps, a rock wall, face painting, door prizes, children’s games and activities free to all registered participants. For more information, contact Theron Pitre, this year’s walk chairman, at [email protected] or 369-2885. To register, visit www.acadianaautism.org.

Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital on Kaliste Saloom Road was honored as Hospital of the Year for the third straight year by the Louisiana Nurses Foundation at its annual Nightingale Gala in Baton Rouge. The Nightingale Awards are presented annually in a number of categories that recognize outstanding nurses, administrators and hospitals. Lafayette Surgical won in its category of 100 beds or less. The Nightingale Awards honor a hospital employer of registered nurses that demonstrates recognition of professional nursing and innovation in leadership.