BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2024 November 12, Tuesday)
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
blairtoday@mail.com – Facebook
Memorial Community Hospital has earned its first-ever four-star rating for patient satisfaction, and hospital leaders are already planning their path to five stars.
The rating, awarded by CMS’s Hospital Compare, reflects dramatic changes at MCH over the past three years.
“We’ve significantly increased our offerings and the number of patients we serve, bringing more specialized care and services to our community,” said MCH President and CEO Manuela “Manny” Banner. “But even more importantly, there’s been a shift in our staff’s mindset — a real sense of excitement and commitment toward continually finding new ways to improve patient care.”
That commitment shows in stories like Betty Anderson’s recent hospital stay. “Betty mentioned how friendly and personable our staff were throughout her stay,” Banner said. “She felt a genuine connection, noting that nurses would stop by at the end of their shifts just to let her know they were heading home.” Anderson called her experience “the next best thing to being at home.”
To reach for that fifth star, MCH is partnering with Custom Learning Systems (CLS), an industry leader in healthcare excellence with over 40 years of experience. The initiative kicked off when Banner led a team of MCH leaders to the 2024 CLS Conference in Orlando, including Vice President of Human Resources Kris Nielsen, Vice President of Patient Care Services Amy Zimmer, and Director of Nursing Keala Roy.
“Our leadership team is excited about implementing a more inclusive approach where frontline staff can more actively identify and lead process improvements,” Banner explained. The hospital will also focus on “refining our hiring and onboarding processes to attract and retain the most engaged staff.”
The improved rating is expected to strengthen MCH’s position as a healthcare leader in eastern Nebraska, helping attract top medical talent while enhancing patient trust and care quality in the Blair area.
The journey to five stars will be built on collaboration, according to Banner. “It was invaluable to connect with other organizations that have already achieved five-star ratings,” she said. “Learning directly from their experiences and forming collaborative relationships gave us a clearer roadmap on how to advance toward our own five-star aspirations.”
The changes won’t just be administrative. Banner envisions a hospital where improvements come from all levels. “Our leadership team is excited about implementing a more inclusive approach where frontline staff can more actively identify and lead process improvements,” she explained. “Additionally, we’re focusing on enhancing leadership engagement across all areas of our organization, ensuring that each leader not only understands but can effectively share our mission and goals with their teams.”
