Company Notebook

Baystate Recognized by U.S. News & World Report

SPRINGFIELD —  Baystate Medical Center has been named a “top hospital” — the third-best hospital in Massachusetts — in U.S. News & World Report’s 24th annual “Best Hospitals” ranking, recognizing hospitals that excel in treating patients who need an especially high level of care. U.S. News & World Report ranks up to 50 hospitals in each of 16 medical specialties. Only 147 out of nearly 5,000 U.S. hospitals earned national ranking in one or more of the specialties. Baystate Medical Center’s ranking, up from fifth-best hospital in last year’s Best Hospitals report, is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all Baystate employees in making quality and patient safety second to none, noted Dr. Evan Benjamin, senior vice president, Healthcare Quality, Baystate Health. “What our high ranking means for patients is that Baystate Medical Center is recognized nationally as one of the safest hospitals in the country in terms of outcomes and avoiding serious medical errors. This latest honor is just one of many national awards and recognitions Baystate Medical Center has received over the past years for its high quality of care. Providing world-class healthcare close to home in Western Mass. not only represents the fulfillment of our mission, it also helps to keep our Pioneer Valley community strong in terms of our overall health, economy, and quality of life.” Baystate Medical Center was ranked nationally in diabetes and endocrinology (29th), ear, nose, and throat (26th), and pulmonology (42nd). The hospital also was recognized as “high-performing” in cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, gastroenterology and GI surgery, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and urology. “The mission of Best Hospitals is to help guide patients who need a high level of care because they face a particularly difficult surgery, a challenging condition, or added risk because of other health problems or age,” said Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings editor. “Patient survival and safety data, the adequacy of nurse-staffing levels, and other objective data largely determined the rankings in most specialties.” The research organization RTI International in Research Triangle Park, N.C., conducted the physician survey and produced the Best Hospital methodology and national rankings under contract with U.S. News. The magazine separately published the “Best Children’s Hospitals 2013-2014” rankings last month, where Baystate Children’s Hospital was ranked 34th in pediatric diabetes and endocrinology.

 

Falcons Earn AHL Team Business Services Award

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Falcons earned an American Hockey League Team Business Services Award recently. The team was honored as the Eastern Conference franchise with the most revenue growth in group ticket sales from the previous season. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in a variety of categories. The Falcons also won two team-achievement awards at the league’s marketing meetings in Cleveland; it was recognized for exceeding a 20% growth in group ticket sales revenue and 10% growth in per-game, full-season equivalents. “We are extremely proud of the work our front and ticket sales staff accomplished off the ice this season,” said Chris Thompson, vice president of Business Development for the Falcons. “Customer service will continue to be a high priority within the organization. The upcoming 20th anniversary season is sure to be an exciting time as we focus on increasing in-game entertainment for our fans.”

 

HMC, Language Access Network to Partner in Communication Project

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center has recently implemented the video interpreting services of the Language Access Network (LAN). The new partnership will address patients with limited English proficiency and the deaf and hard-of-hearing populations. LAN currently provides services in more than 300 medical facilities nationwide with around-the-clock access to the highest-quality trained interpreters available via its centralized video language centers. “Our mission from day one at Holyoke Medical Center has been to serve the health needs of the community in a high-quality and efficient manner,” said Rafael Mojica, manager of Community Outreach Services at Holyoke Medical Center. “The partnership with LAN will provide unique insights to improve overall patient satisfaction for the LEP and deaf and hard-of-hearing patients and help them receive the high standard of care to which they are entitled.” MARTTI (My Accessible Real Time Trusted Interpreter) is LAN’s exclusive platform for providing immediate access to high-quality interpretation resources with one-button simplicity and full mobility throughout the hospital. A revolutionary mobile device, MARTTI provides an easy-to-use, on-demand, qualified medical interpreter service using LAN’s dedicated, HIPAA-compliant, high-speed broadband network. “Patients benefit from the MARTTI device by receiving high-quality care without impediments due to language barriers,” said Andrew Panos, chief operating officer of LAN. “By providing patients with real-time video and audio interpretation capabilities in more than 200 languages, our health-provider facilities are able to improve operations, enhance financial performance, and build trusted patient encounters through clear communication.”