TRMC wins 2nd J.D. Power award

For Thibodaux Regional Medical Center (TRMC), awards are much more than meets the eye. They’re the result of determination and hard work that have resulted in the creation of a top-notch facility – one that’s prized by employees and patients alike.

The growing hospital triumphed again as it received a second-round of awards from J.D. Power and Associates, one for inpatient services and another for outpatient care. The hospital’s CEO Greg Stock was handed the awards last Thursday during a reception at Fremin’s Restaurant in Thibodaux.

TRMC also garnered recognition from J.D. Power and Associates in 2008 for providing an outstanding patient experience.

During that time, the company challenged the hospital to raise the bar, said Kevin Lieb, an associate at J.D. Power and Associates. “We asked them to step up to the plate, look at the service they were providing and realized they could do better,” he explained. “A year later, they’ve not only done that, but improved their score by over 40 points.”

Awards presented are based on a 1,000-point scale, with a major portion of hospitals receiving scores in the high 800’s. This year, TRMC neared 950, delving into the 95th percentile.

To measure patient satisfaction, the group asked a slew of patients what they thought of the hospital and its staff. Among the things the study looked at were patient comfort, speed and efficiency of operations and emotional support from family and friends.

Currently, the facility has the highest score out of nearly 1,300 hospitals J.D. Power and Associates looks at each year, said Lieb. And TRMC actually scored higher marks on inpatient services compared to outpatient care.

“That’s quite an accomplishment and certainly I think it goes back to the leadership,” he said. “Leadership really sets this hospital apart from most hospitals we work with.”

As Stock should take much of the credit for TRMC’s success, he attributes a major portion of it to his staff. The hospital’s focus falls heavily on the patient, something that ultimately leads to a climate of excellence and success, he said.

“When we go after excellence, it’s not 50 percent, that’s average. We’re not OK with just a few points above,” he said. “There could be a lot of discussion about what excellence is, but in the end it’s not about the process itself. It’s really about the patient.”

Although Stock admitted he once believed that being average was OK, things have changed. “We try to make it a matter of the heart,” he noted.

However, just because TRMC is on top now doesn’t mean good times will continue forever.

“[J.D. Power and Associates] still believes that companies that don’t listen to the voice of their customer are really going to stumble and maybe even go out of business,” explained Lieb, pointing to Toyota as the latest example of a “good” business gone bad.

“People, when they get to the top, tend to relax a little bit and things start to slowly deteriorate. I think that’s the challenge TRMC really faces, because [it] is at a level where other’s aspire to be. You can’t take your eye off the ball,” he said.

During the course of the company’s rankings, TRMC scored “30…40…60 times above what we’d consider a distinguished hospital,” added Lieb. “So Thibodaux’s not just hitting on one cylinder, they’re firing on all five cylinders.”

But in order to keep the engine running, the hospital must maintain its focus.

“A hospital is about people. You can have the greatest building in the world. You can have the latest technology, but if you don’t have good leadership with the ability to take people who are clinically trained, scientifically trained and get them to connect emotionally with someone, you’re not going to do well in this particular study,” touted Lieb.

Jacob Giardina (left), Thibodaux Regional Medical Center’s chairman of the board, and CEO Gregg Stock, accept another round of recognition from J.D. Power and Associates. * Photo by CASEY GISCLAIR