Saving people’s lives is the first priority for the Montgomery County Emergency Medical Services. But an ongoing survey showed that keeping customers happy is also important.
By NANCY FLAKE
The Courier (Texas)
The Montgomery County Hospital District contracted several months ago with Press Ganey, a national healthcare survey company, to implement the survey, according to MCHD board President David Witt.
“Last year, I explained to the board we needed to look at a baseline of our services,” he said. “Allen (Johnson, MCHD chief administrative officer) brought up Press Ganey and thought we could do that. It’s part of a larger program of monitoring our system, meaning all of MCHD. What we want is happy people.” One out of every seven patients transported by EMS gets a survey to complete, and there is a 25 percent return rate, which Johnson explained is “very good.” Cost of the survey is $360 per month, he said.
Press Ganey’s first survey results, completed shortly after the company was contracted in December, showed EMS staff members scored highest on the timeliness of the ambulance’s arrival. That score was 91.7, 0.7 higher than the benchmark of 91, with 36 survey responses. Other areas where EMS scored high, though below the benchmark, were “overall rating of care,” at 91.4; “skill of the person driving,” also 91.4; “concern shown by dispatcher,” 90.7; “staff eased entry into hospital,” 90.4; and “medics listened to you/family,” 90.3.