The University Medical Center placed among the nation's top 100 hospitals for the fifth consecutive year, according to a report released this week by Solucient, a national health care corporation.
The University Medical Center joined 15 other "major teaching hospitals," or centers which can provide inpatient care to over 400 individuals at one time, in Solucient's publication entitled "100 Top Hospitals: National Benchmarkers."
Solucient's criteria for top hospitals include quality of care, operational efficiency, financial performance and adaptation to the external environment. The Medical Center conducts constant research and fine-tuning of service aimed at improving the quality of patient care, according to a Medical Center Media Relations spokesperson.
For many employees, the consistent recognition indicates that the Medical Center's policies and procedures are advantageous.
"Remaining in the top 100 for five years is really a validation for our physicians and employees," Chief Operations Officer Margaret Van Bree said. "We are very focused on timely care and quality patient care."
Hospitals which appear in the top 100 list for over four consecutive years are more likely to practice new therapeutic and diagnostic technologies before other hospitals do, according to Solucient.
"The award recognizes the extra time and effort that every employee contributes," said Claudette Dalton, assistant dean and director of community based medical education, and an anesthesiologist at the Medical Center. "It's a real acknowledgment of teamwork. Everyone here works as a team, and that's what needs to be rewarded."
The Medical Center's 564 permanent employees and 1087 volunteers make up 23 medical research systems centered in Charlottesville.
In addition to paid staff members, volunteers at the Medical Center help with medical procedures and activities designed to make patients feel more at home.
"Volunteers are very important to the quality of the hospital," Van Bree said. "Their level of commitment is equal to that of paid employees, and their work makes it very nice to be in the hospital during tough times."
Medical Center patients have access to such specialized departments as women's midlife health, dermatology, cardiology, orthopedics and an emergency room for children.
The Medical Center has seen a recent steady growth in outpatient admissions, and has added several operating rooms to accommodate increasing patient volume.
The University environment also contributes to the quality of the hospital, Dalton said.
"It's one thing to ask a colleague for advice about a particular condition," Dalton said. "But to be able to access a database of reliable, valid information like the University's is completely different. It's like having access to 100 minds instead of just one."
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