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Is this Hospital Right for You?

Selecting a hospital is a very important decision. You want to choose a health care institution that provides high quality care in a cost effective and compassionate manner. To help you make the best decision possible, Hill Country Memorial Health System (HCMHS) has developed a list of questions you should consider when selecting a hospital. Responses are provided below on behalf of HCMHS. Also included below are helpful website links that will provide relevant information and quality results for your review.

1.                Is the hospital accredited?

Accreditation helps ensure that the hospital is meeting certain health and safety requirements. The Joint Commission standards address the quality of staff and equipment, and – most recently – the hospital’s success in treating and current patients.  If a hospital meets those standards, it becomes accredited (gets a “seal of approval””.  Reviews are conducted at least every three years.  If the hospital you are considering is not accredited, it is important to know why.

Yes, HCMHS is accredited by The Joint Commission. Our most recent survey was in April of 2005. Visit http://www.jointcommission.org to view our Quality Report.

2.                What are the Quality Results?
How does the hospital compare with others in my area?  One important way to learn about hospital quality is to look at reports cards developed by Medicare and consumer groups.  Ratings that compare hospital performance are an important resource for healthcare consumers.

At HCMH we encourage you to visit the following websites for the most up to date rating. 

http://www.healthgrades.com/

http://www.qualitycheck.org

http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov

Additionally we have posted our national quality indicator results on our website.  You are welcome to call the Quality Management Office at (830) 997-1378 for more detailed information.

3.                Does the hospital accept your insurance?

Insurance plans often provide more coverage for services received at an affiliated hospital. By choosing a hospital that is part of your health insurance plan, you are likely to pay less out-of-pocket costs.

Call the Business Office at (830) 997- 1260 to speak with a Business Office representative.                                

4.                How often is the procedure you need performed in the hospital and does the staff have experience with your condition?

In the case of specialized medical and surgical care for a complex problem, the more experience the hospital has with a procedure, the better the results will be. Ask your physician or the hospital how often the procedure is done, how often your doctor does the procedure and how well the patients do after the procedure.

Please contact the Quality Management Office at (830) 997-1378 for answers to specific questions you may have regarding the volume of procedures performed.

There are some procedures that are not performed at HCMH because the medical staff has determined it would be in the best interest of the patient to go to a facility where those procedures are performed regularly.

5.                Is your physician affiliated with the hospital?

Your doctor must be affiliated with the hospital you choose. This means your doctor has met the hospital's requirements and is allowed to treat patients in that facility.

Please call the physician referral line at (800) 578-0631 for physicians affiliated with HCMH.

6.                Is your physician board certified, experienced in the specialty you need, or have disciplinary actions? How many years has your physician been practicing?

All physicians on staff at HCMH are required to be board certified or actively pursing board certification.  When physicians are appointed to the HCMH medical staff their applications are thoroughly reviewed for experience and disciplinary action.

You can also visit http://www.healthgrades.com/ for a Physician Quality Report about your physician or the Texas Medical Board at http://www.tmb.state.tx.

7.                Is there an infection control practitioner on staff at the hospital?

About one in twenty American patients gets sick from their stay in the hospital. Hospital-acquired illnesses are a major concern, especially since one-third to one-half of acquired infections are preventable.

Yes, we have a full-time infection control practitioner on staff. She is a registered nurse and is a certified infection control practitioner by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

8.                Does the hospital have an extensive referral network?

HCMH and the medical staff have an extensive referral to tertiary care hospitals in both Austin and San Antonio.   

Call and Visit the Hospital

1.       Is the staff courteous and helpful?

When you go to the hospital observe if staff members are friendly and offer to assist you in finding a department or area of the hospital.  Ask your family, friends and neighbors about their experiences at the hospital.

In 2006, 86% of respondents to our customer satisfaction surveys answered “usually” to the question, “Did your nurses treat you with courtesy and respect?” That put is in the top 26% nationally on this question.

2.       Is the hospital clean?

Visit the hospital and look around.  Ask to see the waiting and patient rooms.  Ask your family, friends and neighbors about their experiences at the hospital.

In 2006, 81% of respondents to our customer satisfaction surveys answered “always” to the question, “How often were your room and bathroom kept clean?”  That put is in the top 8% nationally on this question.

3.       Do the waiting rooms and patient rooms look comfortable?

The HCMH waiting rooms have been furnished by the HCMH Auxiliary with the comfort of patients’ families and friends in mind. 

4.       How are patient complaints handled by the hospital?

All patient complaints are investigated by a member of the administrative team and the complainant notified of the findings of the investigation and any changes put in place to keep a similar incident from happening in the future.

5.       Is the hospital conveniently located?

HCMH is located on South State Highway 16, approximately one mile south of Main Street (Highway 290) in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Find Out More

1.  Ask your physician and other healthcare professionals which hospital they would choose and why.
2. Ask friends and colleagues what hospital they would recommend and why.

In 2006, 89% of respondents to our customer satisfaction survey answered “definitely yes” to the question “Would you recommend this hospital to your friends and family?” That put is in the top 98% nationally on this question.

3. Find out the full range of specialty departments available in the hospital if complications were to occur related to the surgery or treatment you may need (for example, newborn intensive care unit, trauma center, etc.).

Visit our website at http://www.hcmhs.org to see a full listing of specialties, call the physician referral line at (800) 578-0631 for physicians affiliated with HCMH or speak with your physician.

4. Carefully evaluate all financial charges between hospitals. Talk carefully with your benefits manager to review your policy, and speak with someone in the hospital benefits office to make sure you have all financial facts straight

Call (830)997-1260 to speak with a Business Office representative