Wooster Community Hospital one of nation’s best
In sports it would be considered a dynasty.
In health it’s recognized as consistent, world-class patient care.
For the seventh time — and the fourth year in a row — Wooster Community Hospital has been named as one of the 100 Top Hospitals in the U.S. by Fortune magazine and IBM Watson Health. IBM Watson Health said it identified the top hospitals from a rigorous evaluation of the more than 3,000 short-term, acute care, nonfederal hospitals across the U.S.
“There are very few hospitals in the country that have won this award more times than we have,” said Bill Sheron, president and CEO of Wooster Community Hospital.
For 28 years, the 100 Top Hospitals program has produced quantitative studies that shine a light on the highest performing hospitals in the country. Using independent public data and proprietary analytics, the recently released 100 Top Hospitals study for 2021 recognizes hospitals that have clearly demonstrated top performance in care, efficiency and community value, IBM Watson Health said.
Wooster Community is one of only two Ohio hospitals to be recognized in the Medium Community Hospital category and one of only seven Ohio hospitals overall to be ranked in the Top 100. Wooster Community was one of only 20 hospitals in the country from its size category to make the Top 100.
“This is the oldest and most prestigious award there is for hospitals, and receiving the distinction for the seventh time is a source of pride for our community,” Sheron said. “We don’t win this award by accident. This is the result of hard work and focus. What we have at Wooster Community Hospital is a culture of continued excellence and consistently high performance.”
According to IBM Watson Health, the recognized hospitals inherently set attainable benchmarks for others in the industry to aspire to over time in areas such as 30-day re-admission rates, mortality rates and patient experience. IBM Watson Health said this year’s study revealed significant differences between award winners and their nonwinning peers. The highest performing hospitals, IBM Watson said:
• Had lower inpatient mortality, considering patient severity.
• Had fewer patient complications.
• Delivered care that resulted in fewer healthcare-related infections.
• Had lower 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital-wide re-admission rates.
• Sent patients home sooner.
• Provided faster emergency care.
• Kept inpatient expenses low while still maintaining a healthy financial environment.
• Scored higher on patient satisfaction ratings of their overall hospital experience.
“By finding ways to take balanced performance to the next level, the winners of our 100 Top Hospitals award are identifying opportunities to deliver healthcare value to patients, communities and payers,” IBM Watson Health said.
Sheron said WCH’s score this year was even better than 2020 when the hospital was ranked as the nation’s top hospital in its category.
“It’s hard to improve when we’re at the top, but we’re always looking for ways to do it,” Sheron said. “It’s a testament to our whole staff’s willingness to keep improving processes and keep getting better.”
Along with its IBM Watson recognition, WCH last year was named by Newsweek as one of the World’s Best Hospitals. Because of its growing reputation, Sheron said the hospital is now drawing patients from a larger region.
“We started as a typical community hospital, but we’re now serving a much larger region extending almost to Lake Erie,” he said. “People read about our accolades, and they like the idea of coming to a smaller facility where they can still get the best care and pay a lot less for services. It makes a difference in their decision to come here.”
You can learn more about Wooster Community Hospital at woosterhospital.org or by calling 330.263.8144. Wooster Community Hospital is located at 1761 Beall Ave. in Wooster. This story has been underwritten by Wooster Community Hospital.