LAKE CITY — Stewart Memorial Community Hospital and the McCrary Rost Clinic was named a 2019 Guardian of Excellence Award winner by Press Ganey. The Guardian of Excellence Award recognizes top-performing health care organizations that have achieved the 95th percentile or above of performance in Patient Experience. The hospital and clinic earned the award for achievement in Patient Experience in Medical Practice.

The Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award is a nationally-recognized symbol of achievement in health care. Presented annually, the award honors clients who consistently sustained performance in the top 5% of all Press Ganey clients for each reporting period during the course of one year.

“The staff of McCrary Rost Clinic have been focused on patient experience for many years,” said Kari Jones, chief nursing officer at SMCH. “We consistently work to provide ease of access to our patients, timelines of check in, reduced waiting, communicating plans of treatment through after visit summaries and use of MyChart, and coordinated follow up on referrals and results. Our staff are committed to building trust in our patients in order to provide for more engagement and better outcomes.”

“Congratulations to Stewart Memorial Community Hospital and the McCrary Rost Clinics for receiving the Guardian of Excellence Award,” said Patrick T. Ryan, executive chairman of Press Ganey. “This honor reflects their unwavering commitment to improving the safety, quality, and experience of care. Their hard work and dedication are inspiring, and we are proud to partner with them on our shared mission to reduce patient suffering.”

According to SMCH CEO Cindy Carstens added, “Stewart Memorial and McCrary Rost Clinic are honored to receive the Guardian of Excellence Award for Patient Experience in Medical Practice. As an organization we are committed to providing quality health and wellness for the people we serve. It takes a team effort to provide the care our communities seek. This starts from the initial encounter at registration down to the nurses, radiology and laboratory teams that assist the provider in caring for the people we serve. Our team strives to provide coordinated care and exceptional experiences at every encounter. This award validates that we are achieving our mission and vision for our communities as the people we serve share their voice through the surveys they submit.”