By Ken McEntee

needn ’ t go far to receive world-class healthcare .

That fact was recently confirmed when Coshocton Regional Medical Center was recognized as one of the Top 100 hospitals in the United States by Fortune magazine and IBM Watson Health .

“ To have your hometown hospital named as a Top 100 hospital speaks volumes of the care the community can receive right here in Coshocton ,” said Stephanie Conn , CEO of the medical center . “ I cannot even begin to express how proud I am of our staff members who continuously place patient care first . We are here to serve our patients and deliver the best patient experience possible . This award confirms our hard work and commitment to that vision .”

Coshocton Regional Medical Center is one of only seven Ohio hospitals to be named as a Top 100 and one of only 15 “ small community hospitals ” in the country to be recognized for 2021 .

The annual 100 Top Hospitals list , which has been published for 28 years , showcases excellence in clinical outcomes , operational efficiency , patient experience and financial health . IBM Watson Health said it identifies the top hospitals from a rigorous

evaluation of the more than 3,000 short-term , acute care , non-federal hospitals across the U . S . Using independent public data and proprietary analytics , the 100 Top Hospitals study recognizes hospitals that have clearly demonstrated top performance in care , efficiency and community value , IBM Watson Health said .

“ We are here to serve our patients and deliver the best patient experience possible . This award confirms our hard work and commitment to that vision .”

— Stephanie Conn , CEO

“ It ’ s nice when you ’ re finally recognized for something that we ’ ve known all along ,” said Kaylee Andrews , manager of business development and marketing at Coshocton Regional Medical Center . “ Our slogan — ‘ Where care matters most ’ — sums up the reason that we have received this recognition . Quality patient care is our main focus . We may not have the biggest , shiniest facility , but what our staff provides each and every day is our culture of caring

, whether it ’ s the medical staff , the accounting department or the maintenance crew . Better care results in better patient outcomes , which is a majority of what the award is based on . Better patient outcomes is huge for us .”

Andrews said having medical care provided by familiar community members is an important part of the hospital ’ s success .

“ Being born and raised here myself , I know how nice it is to have that interaction with friends and neighbors ,” Andrews said . “ Patients feel like they are receiving a higher level of care when they are being cared for by local community members . You always know that you ’ re going to get that friendly ‘ hello ’ when you come here .”

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 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 .

A staple of the Coshocton community for more than 110 years , Coshocton Regional Medical Center , a member of Prime Healthcare Foundation , is a 56-bed not-for-profit hospital that provides 24-hour emergency and acute care services , with a network of hospital-based physician clinics in Coshocton and surrounding counties . The hospital is an Accredited Chest Pain and Heart Failure Center and has earned The Joint Commission ’ s Gold Seal of Approval for accreditation by demonstrating

compliance with national standards for healthcare quality and safety in hospitals .

Coshocton Regional Medical Center is located at 1460 Orange St . in Coshocton . You can learn more by visiting CoshoctonHospital . org . This story has been underwritten by Coshocton Regional Medical Center .

A staple of the Coshocton community for more than 110 years ,

Coshocton Regional Medical

Center , a member of Prime Healthcare Foundation , is a 56- bed not-for-profit hospital that provides 24-hour emergency and acute care services , with a network of hospital-based physician clinics in Coshocton and surrounding counties .

Randy McKee

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