Press Release

Burgess Home Health Receives Top Satisfaction Score

Burgess Home Health is the latest service of Burgess Health Center in Onawa to receive a score of 99 percent on customer satisfaction, the highest score possible in patient surveys of Press Ganey, a national patient satisfaction survey company.

The score places Burgess Home Health among the top hospitals in the nation for patient satisfaction and service.

“We work to provide our patients and their family members with skilled and compassionate home health care,” says Sherri Johnston, Burgess Director of Home Health/Hospice. “In addition to seeing all our patients in their homes, we also offer new methods of care in homes such as telemonitoring.”

The computerized telemonitoring system includes a blood pressure cuff, an oximeter sensor to measure heart rate and oxygen saturation, a digital scale to record fluid build-up and a voice prompt system -- all in the home. Information is transmitted to a central station at the Burgess home health office where registered nurses read the patient’s vital signs and can take action if serious health issues are developing.

Burgess home health installed the special system in about a dozen homes earlier this year to better monitor select patients, reduce hospitalizations and unscheduled visits, says Johnston

“I’m so proud of our staff,” says Johnston. “We work hard to keep people out of the hospital and in the comfort of home. It helps us provide the right care in the right place.”

Additionally, home health nurses Cindy Kuhlmann and Collette Carothers have earned certification as an OASIS Specialist-Clinical for their expertise in working with Medicare and Medicaid data.

Burgess Home Health also participates in quality improvement program with the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care (IFMC) to further enhance care and reduce hospitalizations. Burgess is one of only 20 home health agencies to work with IFMC. In past years, Burgess has worked with the IFMC to improve care for congestive heart failure patients and patients on oxygen and water reduction medications.

“We will continue seeking new and innovative ways to provide quality home health care and promote patient self-care management,” Johnston says. “We appreciate our patients and family who put their trust in us and provide us with feedback that can only make our agency better.”

Burgess has also received ratings of 99 percent in outpatient surgery and emergency.
Patient satisfaction surveys address registration, staff, doctors, lab, radiology, cleanliness, waiting time, pain control, privacy and more. Surveys are mailed to homes after a patient is discharged.