The Numbers are in and the Winners are… The patients of Grinnell Regional Medical Center!

Let me explain. In 2005 the federal government mandated a new patient satisfaction system be implemented for all hospitals in America referred to as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or HCAHPS, for short. The idea was simple, people ought to have a place they can go to see how past patients have rated their perspective on inpatient care at hospitals all across the country. So the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) partnered with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to develop a set of questions that would be asked and measured in the same way from a sample of adult patients across medical conditions at every hospital. They then established a web site www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov with the ongoing results of the survey so anyone can get a sense of the ratings people give after their hospitalization. The most recent download of information on the Hospital Compare website shows GRMC is at the head of the class in almost every category of patient satisfaction for hospitals within a 60-mile radius including the urban hospitals in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City!

We celebrated our HCAHPS success with a “Warm Hearts Lead to GRMC’s Sweet Success.” Employees were invited to enjoy hot cocoa and warm cookies to recognize their dedication.




I am very proud of the women and men who make not only providing the highest quality of care a priority, but also recognize that the service level is equally important. We have some of the most dedicated and talented people around that are proud to call GRMC “their” hospital. Now, what makes this really remarkable is in almost every case, the surrounding hospitals are paid much better than we are for the Medicare and Medicaid patients we are privileged to serve. Don’t get me wrong, if you look at the numbers we are not all that much better than our colleagues around us, however we are better. And if you want to look at national numbers, well there is where all Iowa Hospitals really shine. The fact is we provide the best care in the country here in Iowa and get paid amongst the lowest of any state. That is something to crow about in a world of stress and concern and bad news.

The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent GRMC’s positions, strategies, or opinions.