SVMC Receives 5-Star Rating for Patient Communication

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, and Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center—all members of Dartmouth Health—have received top marks from Becker’s Hospital Review as three of the best hospitals for nurse communication and physician communication.

Becker’s annually compiles a list of the best hospitals for nurse communication and physician communication in each state using Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) data. HCAHPS is a national, standardized survey of hospital patients about their experiences during a recent inpatient hospital stay.

“I’m very proud of our Dartmouth Health member hospitals who have been recognized for the excellent communication between their physicians and nurses and patients,” said Joanne M. Conroy, MD, CEO and president of Dartmouth Health. “Clear, respectful and compassionate communication between healthcare providers and their patients is critical to building trust in the patient-provider relationship, and ensuring that the provider is able to give their patient the best and most personalized care.”

The nurse communication and the physician communication rating combines data from three HCAHPS survey questions and summarizes how well patients feel that their providers explained things clearly, listened carefully to the patient, and treated the patient with courtesy and respect.

All three Dartmouth Health hospitals received five-star ratings based on survey data collected from patients from July 2021 through June 2022.