In addition, Medical Group Practices Earn Planetree Bronze Recognition for Meaningful Progress in Patient-Centered Care
Stamford Hospital was among the first organizations in the country to achieve this designation, which recognizes a sustained excellence in patient- and family-centered care. Today, Stamford Hospital is one of only 92 Planetree Designated® Sites Worldwide to receive Planetree Designation since the program’s launch in 2007.
“This is a proud and rewarding moment for our institution to be recognized for our unique culture of viewing care in a holistic, long-term way,” said Kathleen Silard, RN, FACHE, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Office of the President at Stamford Health. “We believe this sets us apart as forward-thinking with a culture that demonstrates a commitment to providing healthcare the way patients want it delivered – through our practices, policies and physical environment.”
To achieve designation, a hospital must have processes, procedures and programs in place that reflect what patients, family members and healthcare professionals noted – in hundreds of focus groups held across the country – about what matters most to them during a healthcare experience. This qualitative data aligns with the growing evidence-base for patient-centered care, and establishes the Planetree Designation as a concrete framework for defining and measuring excellence in patient-centeredness.
More than 60 specific criteria address components of a patient-centered healthcare experience, including patient-provider interactions, access to information, family involvement, the physical environment, food and nutrition, spirituality, arts and entertainment, and integrative therapies. In addition, the criteria focus on how the hospital is supporting its staff, opportunities for staff, patients and families to have a voice in the way care is delivered, and the ways that the hospital is reaching beyond its walls to care for its community.
Guided by these core components of a patient-centered culture, over the past 14 years, Stamford Hospital has implemented a substantial number of initiatives and practices designed to enhance both the patient and staff experience.
“The Planetree Designation is the only award that recognizes excellence in person-centeredness across the continuum of care,” said Susan Frampton, President of Planetree, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that has been at the forefront of the movement to transform healthcare from the perspective of the patient for almost 40 years. “The designation signals to healthcare consumers that Stamford Hospital is a hospital where providers partner with patients and families, and where patient comfort, dignity, empowerment and well-being are prioritized with providing top-quality clinical care.”
To become a Planetree Designated® Person-Centered Hospital, Stamford Hospital demonstrated successful implementation of programs that meet the spirit and intent of the designation criteria. As part of the re-designation process — which included a site visit by representatives from Planetree — Stamford Hospital demonstrated that specific person-centered practices and policies have been sustained over time, including non-restrictive visiting hours and an open medical chart policy, widespread staff involvement in the implementation of person-centered care, and incorporation of the patient and family perspective in hospital planning efforts. In addition, the site visit team validated that the hospital’s physical environment is a healing one engaging all of the human senses. The process also included a review of the hospital’s performance on publicly reported patient satisfaction and quality of care measures. All designation determinations are made by an independent committee of international healthcare experts and CEOs from previously designated hospitals.
Additionally, seven Stamford Health Medical Group practices have earned Planetree Bronze Designation for Meaningful Progress in Patient-Centered Care. This includes Stamford Health Medical Group Primary Care locations at Tully Health Center as well as in Greenwich, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Newfield and Dr. Lindberg’s practice in Darien. The award of Bronze Designation is a direct result of patients and families personally attesting to the care team’s caring attitudes, willingness to work in partnership with them, and providing quality care that meets their needs. This designation is a testament to a commitment of personalizing, humanizing and demystifying the healthcare experience for the patients.
Learn more about how Stamford Health implements the Planetree philosophy of care.
PHOTO: Representatives from Stamford Health are presented with re-designation at the Planetree International Conference Awards Ceremony on October 19. (left to right): Roseann Cardi, RN, Director of Clinical Operations, Inpatient Rehabilitation, Stamford Health; Courtney Stupak, Volunteer Coordinator, Stamford Health; Dr. Steven Horowitz, Planetree; Susan Frampton, PhD, President of Planetree International; Deborah Fedeli, Director, Patient-Centered Services, Stamford Health; and Aisha Coqueran, Planetree Advisor.