BERLIN – On Oct. 20, Atlantic General Hospital was recognized by HealthGrades, an independent, for-profit international healthcare rating organization, with a five-star rating of care in heart failure, pneumonia and pulmonary services, respiratory failure, GI bleed, and GI surgeries and procedures.
While hospital officials feel the AGH’s ratings are deserved, a larger emphasis is placed upon the comparison reporting provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through the agency’s HospitalCompare website (www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov) and other recognition received for their quality improvement efforts during the past year.
“While the recognition from HealthGrades is nice, I’m always a bit hesitant to trust the information that is distributed because it is not clear how HealthGrades tabulates their data before it is presented to the public,” said Bob Yocubik, director of quality at Atlantic General.
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Hospital Compare web site, Atlantic General Hospital outpaces other healthcare organizations on the state and national levels for overall rating of care as well as the likelihood that they would recommend the hospital to others. In fact, Atlantic General scored the highest in these two measures of any hospital on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
“Our patients’ hospital experiences on HospitalCompare are really a validation of Atlantic General Hospital’s commitment to exceeding the expectations of our community and fulfilling our mission, vision and values,” said Ann Taylor, vice president of quality and medical staff services. “The survey findings reflect the dedication of our associates and medical staff to patient safety, respect and kindness, and personalized attention.”
OC Hotel Honored
OCEAN CITY – Horizons Oceanfront Restaurant at the Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel has been honored by Santé, the magazine for restaurant professionals.
The Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel is the recipient of the Wine Hospitality Award for 2010 honoring restaurants that exhibit outstanding achievement in wine service and hospitality. The Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel is one of seven hotels and resorts that have been nationally recognized in this category. The Santé Awards program is the only peer-judged national restaurant and hospitality competition in North America.
The 2010 award is the fourth consecutive Santé Award for Wine Hospitality to be bestowed on the Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel, the only hotel and restaurant in the state to receive this distinction and is owned by Dr. Leonard Berger.
Health Department Award
SNOW HILL – Worcester County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division has received the 2010 Outstanding Rural Health Program Award for its exemplary educational practices to prevent food borne illnesses and improper food handling at temporary events.
The award is given by the Maryland Rural Health Association, a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and advocate for the optimal health of rural communities and their residents.
Worcester County hosts more than 50 temporary events each year with dozens of vendors and thousands of visitors. To reduce the risk of food borne illness, the Environmental Health Division developed and implemented a Certified Food Operator Course in 2003 with the goal of providing vendors with the skills necessary to prepare and serve food in a safe manner.
Since 2003, more than 370 people have completed hands-on, interactive course. The program has increased vendor awareness of safe food handling practices and enhanced relationships among regulators, vendors, sponsors and event visitors. The course and creation of a temporary events coordinator has allowed the environmental health staff to function more efficiently and focus attention on the vendors who are new, inexperienced or unfamiliar with food handling requirements.
Hospital Appointments
BERLIN – Atlantic General Hospital recently appointed the following physicians to the medical staff: Vijaykumar Karumbunathan, M.D. is board certified in internal medicine; Daniel Pascucci, D.O., is is certified by the National Board of Osteopathic Examiners; and Andrea Wilson, FNP, certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioner Certified Family Nurse Practitioner.