North Wing at Medina hospital gets 4-star rating
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Carrie Mikits, left, director of nursing at Medina Memorial Hospital’s North Wing, and Sarah Bateman, North Wing administrator, stand outside the entrance to the skilled nursing facility, which has just received a rating of 4 out of 5, making it tops in the county.
MEDINA – Boosting the ratings for Medina Memorial Hospital’s North Wing in one short year was a team effort, according to Sarah Bateman, administrator of the skilled nursing facility.
The North Wing’s recent rating by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services was 4 out of 5, a big increase from their 1 out of 5 rating received a year ago when the hospital affiliated with Rochester Regional Health. The North Wing rating places it at the top of all skilled nursing facilities in the county.
“We looked at the opportunities for education and identified the areas where we do well and those where we need to improve,” Bateman said.
One of the first things they did was let staff know where they needed to improve. They also fully implemented electronic medical records, said Carrie Mikits, director of nursing.
Both she and Bateman take great pride in the care given to residents of the North Wing.
Bateman has a lot of roots in Medina, she said. Her mother, Janet Hallifax, worked at the hospital for 35 years. Bateman previously worked at the hospital for seven years before going to Rochester Regional Health for a time.
She said she and Mikits just dove in with quality measures.
She doesn’t think the first rating supported the great job staff is doing at the North Wing, and a lot of the problem was in record keeping.
“A lot of things were not changes we made, just making sure they were reported adequately,” Bateman said. “Certainly the tools provided by Rochester Regional Health helped direct our efforts.”
Reaching five stars is definitely their goal, Bateman said.
“We want to provide the best care possible,” she said.
Bateman and Mikits pointed out a painting recently done on the wall near the entrance to the North Wing. It reads: Our residents do not live in our work place. We work in their home.”
Three things go into consideration for a 5-star rating. These are staffing (and the North Wing is at goal); a health survey by the Department of Health; and quality measures, rated against other nursing homes in the country.
“Medina has always taken pride in the care provided to residents, and the increased focus on quality has allowed a closer look at policies and processes to insure the highest level of care is provided and documented,” Bateman said.
Their ultimate goal is, of course, to reach that 5-star rating, Bateman said.
The North Wing is currently at full capacity, with 30 residents.
