As UConn Health celebrates the first anniversary of the opening of the University Tower, it’s also celebrating major gains in patient satisfaction scores.
“We are now at the 99th percentile in the state of Connecticut, and nationally we’re in the 96th percentile,” says UConn John Dempsey Hospital CEO Anne Diamond. “This is a big improvement from before we opened the new tower.”
That’s based how the hospital scored on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or HCAHPS, an external benchmark of the way patients perceive their interaction and their care.
A recent poll in the Pulse asked employees, staff and students what they liked about the University Tower. Here are some of the responses:
“I like the sleek design that shows we are new and fresh. The design is as innovative as we are!”
“The new tower is clean, streamlined, patient and staff friendly. The patient rooms are like no other hospital around. If you are going to be in the hospital, then there is no better view than the one you will get from UConn Health.”
“Starbucks!”
“I love private rooms for all patients, and the windows—what a great environment to get better!”
“I like explaining to patients the significance behind the number of rooms and the number of towns and cities in the state and that in each room there is a picture from each town or city. The patients (and I) love trying to guess where each picture is from.”
“My favorite part of the new tower is the lighting. The bright lights and natural sunlight give a very welcoming happy feel that I wish was the same reality for the entire building, especially the older areas. I also love the Starbucks and gift shop of course!”
“Starbucks… need I say more?”
“The size of the patient rooms. A close family friend was admitted to the 7th floor for hospice care that lasted about 12 days. At times there were up to 17 family members in and friends in the room and everyone fit comfortably. It was also amazing how quiet the room was and that our noise did not disturb others.”
“The other area that we’ve seen tremendous improvement has been in the environment of care, specifically in the area of noise, lighting, and overall healing effect that the environment can have,” Diamond says. “The impact to our patient care and the patient experience was exactly how we planned it to be.”
Saturday, May 13, marked one year since the University Tower opened, first with the emergency department, followed by the transfer of 70 patients from the original hospital tower.
The original hospital building, known today as the Connecticut Tower, opened in 1975, six years after construction began. Much has evolved in the world of hospital design since then, such as a shift to private single-bed rooms and modern communication technology to reduce noise from alarms.
And there’s the view.
“The glass goes from floor to ceiling, so the outside light and view is considered part of the healing process,” Diamond says. “The hospitals designed in the 60s, 70s, and even the 80s for the most part, they didn’t really use the natural light and didn’t really provide an emphasis on the healing and calming nature that having a beautiful view can provide. We’re very fortunate here in the Farmington Valley to be able to have that 360-degree-view. It doesn’t matter what part of the hospital you’re in, you have a beautiful view to look at.”
Medicine and telemetry nurse manager Anne Niziolek says the new rooms have other advantages too.
“The patients all love the new private rooms with the views, that’s true,” Niziolek says. “The rooms also are large enough to allow families to stay comfortably overnight with their loved ones. And, the rooms allow for assisted devices and staff to maneuver in the rooms with ease.”
Over the last year, the emergency department has seen an additional 1,000 patients, which is about a 7 percent increase. The hospital also saw growth in cardiac and otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose and throat) surgeries.
And the surgical growth should accelerate in Year 2, with the addition of the first of two new hybrid operating rooms.
Also to come in Year 2, the TUG robotic medication delivery system and the bone marrow transplant program, both expected to go live in the near future.
“Overall it’s been a great first year, and we’re looking for even better to come in the future,” Diamond says.
For a short highlight video of the hospital tower’s first year, click here.
