Vital Signs

Location: Ridgewood, N.J.

Type: Nonteaching, not-for-profit hospital owned by Valley Health System, which also includes a home care service and six multi-physician care centers

Beds: 451

Distinction: Top 5 percent of more than 700 large hospitals (300+ beds) in the portion of patients who gave a rating of 9 or 10 out of 10 when asked how they rate the hospital overall. Timeframe: October 2006 to June 2007. To be included, hospitals must have reported at least 300 surveys. See the Appendix for full methodology.

This case study describes the strategies and factors that appear to contribute to high patient satisfaction at The Valley Hospital. It is based on interviews with key hospital personnel and materials provided by the hospital from September 2008 through February 2009.

Summary: At The Valley Hospital, hospital leaders exemplify on a daily basis the hospital’s dedication to patient service. Each morning, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer visit patients. Valley closely tracks patient satisfaction data on a hospital-wide and unit basis, with each unit given a performance target. Leadership Institutes for frontline supervisors through top executives emphasize accountability for reaching and maintaining high standards. In addition, nurses and other staff members solicit feedback from patients through rounding and post-discharge calls. Valley rewards extraordinary staff behavior through recognition and reward programs.

Read the complete case study.

This study was based on publicly available information and self-reported data provided by the case study institution(s). The aim of Commonwealth Fund–sponsored case studies of this type is to identify institutions that have achieved results indicating high performance in a particular area of interest, have undertaken innovations designed to reach higher performance, or exemplify attributes that can foster high performance. The studies are intended to enable other institutions to draw lessons from the studied institutions' experience that will be helpful in their own efforts to become high performers. Even the best-performing organizations may fall short in some areas or make mistakes—emphasizing the need for systematic approaches to improve quality and prevent harm to patients and staff. The Commonwealth Fund is not an accreditor of health care organizations or systems, and the inclusion of an institution in the Fund's case study series is not an endorsement by the Fund for receipt of health care from the institution.