Summit Awards [2017]

Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital is a community and regional leader in quality, patient focused care, and service excellence. The hospital has maintained a 5 Star HCAHPS score since the inception of the rating, and their beautiful environment is complimented by their dedicated and enthusiastic staff.

San Luis Valley Health cares about patients, the community, their employees and the entire Valley! They are involved in many community events and volunteer opportunities, and through Senior Rounding and improved communication, employee morale is high and turnover is low.

The compassion and dedication that MDH shows to their community and patients is truly one of a kind. Their efforts to provide the highest standards of care not only benefit the hospital, but the way healthcare is perceived in the community. Their mantra is "We Treat You Like Family."

This clinic strives to provide excellent service to patients as well as client partners. The clinical leaders make an intentional effort to cheer for the staff and help them see the bigger picture of exceptional patient care and experience.

These clinic leaders and providers strive toward excellence through patient satisfaction and employee morale. Their dedication has lead to weekly referrals who have heard about their exceptional care “through the grapevine.”

Despite changes in management, nursing staff, reception and providers, providing great patient care has remained the focus of this clinic. Efforts to improve communication and patient comfort have raised overall satisfaction to 93.5%

Patti is an inspirational champion of “Service Excellence.” Her creativity, leadership, and decisiveness are inspiring models for others. She has the perfect mix of clinical expertise, managerial judgement, and patient perspective.

Jim leads by example and empowers everyone to contribute and participate in Service Excellence. His focus is patient satisfaction, and he has a genuine passion for PMC, its patients and employees - it shows in everything he does.

Dennis understands the impact that genuine employee engagement has on staff and patients. He went all-in, helping reinvigorate the organization to achieve excellence and become the healthcare system of choice for their community.

Rita has been making a positive difference at DCH for 41 years. She consistently portrays the attitude and promotes the culture that she wants to see. She puts patient care first, and expects every employee to do the same.

This Council is based on four cornerstones: People, Performance, Progress, and Service. They have been a driving force for change, and have provided support and clarity to all staff on the Initiative’s purpose and overall goals.

This Council initiated positive changes with complete transparency, limiting the rumor mill and giving staff an opportunity to be heard. They are role models in word and deed, from hosting “Fun Fridays” to empowering staff “Super Powers!”

This Council has the drive and tenacity to face any issue. Through changes and setbacks, the Council has held fast and kept the ship heading in the right direction. They believe in taking “good” service to “great” service, one encounter at a time.

Pamela’s drive, organizational talents, and leadership skills have made a difference in the success of the Service Excellence Initiative. She keeps everyone accountable by modelling the behavior expected from managers and frontline staff.

Caryn is animated, enthusiastic, and always looks on the bright side. Her energy and positive attitude never wavers, and her intelligence and compassion has been the driving force behind the personal and professional growth of the staff.

Devin accepted the role of PD with open arms. She is detail oriented, optimistic, and she understands what it takes to achieve Service Excellence. She has become the face and voice of the organization when it comes to customer experience.

Sandy has been a leader since the minute she was given the PD role. She has the best interest of the hospital and community in mind, and she does everything with a smile. Her mission has always been to EMPOWER the frontline.

Ross’ reassuring nature sets him apart from other mentors. His steady and warm assurances give his SEAs confidence in their roles. He arrives early, leaves late, and never asks his employees to do more than he is willing to do himself.

Phyllis is the epitome of a “coach.” She continuously chips in whenever and wherever needed, and she contributes her valuable insights and humor to the Council. She expects the best and elevates all those around her to be their best.

Paula exemplifies everything a coach should be. She’s a well-respected leader, a positive role model, and she has the best interest of the team at heart. Her support for the SEAs is unwavering, and she has a kind word for everyone she meets.

Kelly is dependable, efficient and unfailingly punctual. She is fully committed to the success of the OASIS teams, and she created an atmosphere of creativity and ownership. She is flexible, mindful of others, and passionate about what she does.

This group was formed to identify problems and discuss solutions to enhance patient satisfaction. Their ingenuity and ‘outside the box’ ideas turned this HCAHPS domain into a positive experience for every patient.

This team made a big impact on patient satisfaction with little cost to the hospital. By restricting paging during Quiet Time, and producing new posters, they have improved patient care, ensured happier customers, and boosted HCAHPS scores.

Green Up Clean Up recognized the need for improved recycling and green product knowledge at AVH. Taking on this initiative demonstrates their commitment to stewardship of our natural resources, and also reduced waste management costs.

This team realized that a major part of increasing retention was finding and hiring a good cultural fit in the first place. As a result, employee turnover is down 10% and new hires have values and standards that match Tri Valley’s expectations.

Recognizing that happy staff lead to happy patients, this team revamped their awards and recognition process. After asking all staff how they would like to be recognized, employees feel validated and the turnover rate has decreased 1.86%.

This team was challenged with creating an environment where staff feel comfortable speaking up. By investing their time, energy, and talent, their efforts exceeded all expectations and helped improve a culture of trust.

Good Vibrations stands for good vibes, good energy, positivity, and fun! Not only did this team excel in teaching service excellence, they were able to build confidence while keeping everyone captivated and engaged.

This group came up with excellent skits that had each attendee laughing one moment and crying the next. Their dedication improved morale by encouraging a better relationship between the patients, residents and employees

This team has shown amazing dedication to Service Excellence and an incredible willingness to go outside their comfort zones. Team Stop It’s energy and enthusiasm has helped improve the morale and culture of their organization.

Mardie is compassionate, caring, and puts the patient first. She is a role-model for her clinic staff and colleagues, and she has a “can do” attitude, and she helps employees develop skills for self-improvement, whether clinical or non-clinical.

Dr. Dobbins treats patients and staff with respect, kindness and a caring heart. Her great smile and quiet manner are very comforting to patients, and she always makes an effort to treat their emotional needs as well as their physical ones.

Andrea is an excellent teacher and treats all staff with the upmost respect. Word of her excellent care has spread like wildfire. She is always smiling, and lights up a room just by walking in. Her love for her job is an inspiration to all of us.

Dr. Feldmeyer is a natural leader. Patients are staff are calmed by his steadfast and dependable presence. A pillar of the community for 37 years, Dr. Feldmeyer doesn’t let anything stand in the way of exceptional patient care.

Annick uses words of encouragement to uplift and compliment all employees. She is motivating in word and action, always brainstorming new improvements, and continually propels everyone with her enthusiasm.

Lucas has encouraged many of the staff to “step up” and participate in Service Excellence; he provides the tools and the time for his staff to engage in meetings, projects and huddles. He leads by example and pushes his employees to be better.

Amy is always looking for ways to encourage staff to get back to basics and remember they are there for the patients. She puts positive quotes on her door to encourage everyone, and she always has a smile and a great attitude.

Leonard empowers his staff and gives them a voice to create and implement change. Staff members take pride in their accomplishments, and they are realizing how their opinions and voices can make a difference to the organization.

Doris is willing to help out whenever and wherever she can. She’s eager to learn, always developing new skills to better assist peers and patients, and holds herself to a higher standard. Her thoughtfulness and compassion truly set her apart.

Duane has demonstrated reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence in his daily work for the past 36 years. He encourages and lifts up his coworkers every day without even knowing it, never asking for recognition in return.

Barb is extremely driven and efficient, and genuinely wants to help those around her. Her positive personality and demeanor make her a joy to work with. She puts others first and always gives 100% of herself into every endeavor.

Rhonda is an exceptional employee because she works quietly, tirelessly, and efficiently without expecting recognition; she jumps right in and starts helping with a smile or kind word. She has a special way of making others feel important.

Ginger adds a shining, positive light to everyone’s day. She has a smile for each person she sees, and her positive personality is infectious. She believes everyone should work together for the benefit of patients and their families.

Janice lives service and clinical excellence in her daily life. She always looks for ways to improve both herself and her department; her smile and compassionate words help patients and peers alike. She is a true care-giver!

Amber’s wonderful personality naturally draws in patients, visitors, and peers. She always comes to work with a can-do attitude, ready to make a difference. Amber provides valuable feedback and ideas to improve the organization.

Heather positively influences patients and peers, and she can take charge in situations that need a leader. She commits to being there for her patients, and doesn't let outside influences affect her performance or patient care.

Brittany is always one of the first staff to volunteer for projects and services. Patient feedback often names Brittany as a kind, warm and caring person, and she is always looking for an opportunity to improve processes.

Shaun really put his heart into the SEI process, and when asked to become a mentor he accepted the challenge with no hesitation. He spoke to the new SEAs and gave them a confidence boost - his positive attitude is contagious!

Mark is an honest, caring, and genuine mentor. His mentorship to new SEAs has been a driving force in many amazing improvements around the hospital, as well as employees’ personal growth. His positive attitude has had a huge impact.

Celia has relentless enthusiasm for the SEI process. Her level of commitment to customers is unparalleled, and took it upon herself to create programs and learning opportunities for Tri Valley, and she is their #1 cheerleader.

Jim is an exceptional person both personally and professionally. He continually goes out of his way to set an example of customer service, and he consistently approaches every situation with a winning attitude.

Kyle serves his community by serving them with compassion and dignity. When others don't have time, he creates time – whether it’s giving patients extra attention, working on LEAD projects or assisting the Program Director.

Sharon has truly taken service excellence to heart. She has become a go-to person for advice, support, and encouragement, and she continually promotes and encourages participation in all aspects of the initiative.