Modern Maturity's Top Hospitals with Heart

Modern Maturity has recently named the top 15 "Hospitals with Heart" in the July/August 2001 issue, and 8 of them are Planetree Affiliates. The 15 most respected by their peers combine first-rate traditional care with innovations like quality dining services, Eastern healing techniques and aesthetically pleasing surroundings. The 8 Planetree Affiliates are: Bergan Mercy Medical Center in Omaha, NE; Griffin Hospital in Derby, CT; Highline Community Hospital in Burien, WA; Longmont United Hospital in Longmont, CO; Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles, OR; Shawano Medical Center in Shawano, WI; Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal, VA; and Windber Medical Center in Windber, PA.

Modern Healthcare's 2001 Trustees of the Year

The "2001 Trustees of the Year" award by Modern Healthcare named two Trustees of the Year and both were from Planetree Affiliates. Morton Hyman of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, and David Klementik of Windber Medical Center in Pennsylvania, were recognized for their volunteer position and leadership. "Teamwork, initiative and commitment are shared traits of the two board leaders receiving this year's Modern Healthcare Trustee of the Year awards, co-sponsored by the Governance Institute. At a time when it is easy to complain about the financial squeeze many hospitals have been enduring or worry about staff shortages and physician competition the facilities are facing, we find two people ready, willing and able to step up to such challenges with a positive attitude and the 'can-do' outlook needed to dramatically strengthen their hospitals," said James Rice, president of The Governance Institute.

Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For

One of the Top 100 Companies to Work For included Planetree Affiliate Griffin Hospital in Derby, CT. Fortune Magazine included the hospital for the second consecutive year in its list of the best companies to work for. Employees of the hospital were picked randomly by the magazine to fill out a questionnaire about their workplace in a survey created by the Great Places to Work Institute in San Francisco. After narrowing the field, 237 candidate companies participated in the survey process that evaluates trust in management, pride in work and company and camaraderie.

Solucient Leadership Institute's Top 100 ICU's

Wellmont Bristol Regional Medical Center in Tennessee was named one of the Top 100 ICU's in the country according to a landmark study by The Solucient Leadership Institute. The study was based on Medicare data and related ICU's at 1,200 hospitals on four measures: death rates, complications, now long patients stayed in the units, and cost of care.

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"Planetree member hospitals have incredible potential to change the way health care is delivered, to provide holistic, personalized service supporting mind, body and spirit. We consider ourselves to be leaders in the field of patient-centered care, which is evident by the recent, remarkable milestones our Affiliates have been honored with," said Susan B. Frampton, PhD, executive director of Planetree. "The significance of incorporating the patient's perspective in all that we do, and of measuring our degree of success at doing so, has become more important than ever before."

Planetree was founded over 20 years ago by Angelica Thieriot; an Argentinean appalled by what she felt was cold, impersonal, dehumanizing medical care she received when hospitalized in the United States for a rare virus. Thieriot began a crusade that resulted in the founding of Planetree, which is dedicated to improving the hospital experience for patients and their families through its' patient centered approach which supports healing of the mind, body and spirit. Currently there are over 40 U.S. affiliates in the rapidly growing Planetree alliance.

For more information about the Planetree organization or to obtain a copy of the video, contact Planetree at (203) 732-1364, or email your address to Planetree.