by Jill Clendening
Vanderbilt University Medical Center has recognized 368 clinicians and 86 clinical areas for receiving high marks from patients, earning Excellence in Patient Experience awards for fiscal year 2020.
The number of individual award recipients for fiscal year 2020 is more than double last year’s honorees, and the number of clinical areas receiving the award is more than triple last year’s number.
“Despite the countless challenges created by the pandemic during the last four months of FY2020, clinical service areas and individual providers continued to provide outstanding care and service to our patients, and these scores reflect that commitment,” said Brian Carlson, VUMC Patient Experience senior director. “I want to thank everyone, especially the recipients of the Excellence in Patient Experience awards, for always putting our patients and their families first.”
Clinical service areas and VUMC providers — including physicians, physician assistants and certified registered nurse practitioners — were honored for ranking in the top 10% nationally in patient experience for fiscal year (FY) 2020 (July 1, 2019 until June 30, 2020).
The awards recognizing exceptional performance and commitment to service excellence are based on surveys administered by the health care solutions and consultant company Press Ganey across various service areas including medical practice/clinics, inpatient, ambulatory surgery, outpatient services and others.
The top box scores (the percent of the best possible responses) of all the survey questions were compared to the Press Ganey benchmark. All areas above the 90th percentile received an award. The provider-related questions on the medical practice/clinic survey were used to recognize clinicians. Eligibility was dependent on having at least 30 surveys returned by patients during FY 2020.
In addition to the top-scoring clinicians and clinical areas, VUMC’s institution-wide patient experience scores, which are also collected by Press Ganey, similarly showed positive change, with the institution reaching its target goal in FY 2020 for the overall patient experience pillar goal with a top box score of 74.9% (target was 74.8%).
This continues the positive trend shown with statistically significant positive change in the specific measures of overall communication and courtesy that were reported for FY 19.
Beginning with FY 2020, VUMC changed how the institution’s pillar goal related to patient experience is measured by focusing on VUMC’s top box scores, which are a direct reflection of performance, rather than measuring performance based on rank improvement, which is a comparison to the performance of other Press Ganey clients.
Also, the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), a patient satisfaction survey required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for all hospitals in the United States, was added as a goal for FY 2020. The survey results are publicly reported by CMS on the internet.
U.S. News & World Report has incorporated patient experience data such as HCAHPS scores, into its “Best Hospitals” specialty rankings, and public agencies and insurance companies are increasingly using HCAHPS results as a performance metric tied to reimbursement.
“Because we updated how we monitor our own progress in the area of patience experience, we are able to capture and report a more accurate picture of our performance,” said Paul Sternberg Jr., MD, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Patient Experience Officer.
“We’re also able to respond in a targeted manner if we spot areas of opportunity where we can continue to improve our service to our patients and their families. These Excellence in Patient Experience awards are a clear indication that we are doing a lot right when it comes to delivering personalized care through exceptional service. I am particularly proud of the record number of clinicians earning awards this year.”
In October 2018, VUMC began a multi-year service education initiative, Defining Personalized Care — Elevating Our Culture of Service, and institution leaders point to this effort as a contributing factor in the improved patient satisfaction scores.
Patient Experience Award winners are:
| Areas – Adult |
| Behavioral Health General Clinic VPH |
| Oncology Bone Marrow Biopsy TVC 3 |
| Oncology Breast Cool Springs |
| Oncology Breast OHO |
| Oncology Breast Surgery OHO |
| Oncology Hematology Cool Springs |
| Oncology Hematology Northcrest |
| Oncology Hematology Spring Hill |
| Oncology Hematology VAV |
| Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at Franklin |
| Oncology Surgical and Endocrine Surgery Cool Springs |
| Oncology Infusion Cool Springs |
| Oncology Infusion Northcrest |
| Metro Nashville Public Schools Bransford |
| Metro Nashville Public Schools Mt. View |
| Metro Nashville Public Schools Stratton |
| Metro Nashville Public Schools Two Rivers |
| Metro Nashville Public Schools West |
| Metro Nashville Public Schools Bransford Physical Therapy |
| Cardiology General Franklin |
| Cardiology General MCE 5 |
| Cardiology General OHO |
| Cardiology General Shelbyville |
| Cardiology General Winchester |
| Cardiology Heart Failure MCE 5 |
| Cardiology Interventional Lebanon |
| Cardiology Interventional OHO |
| Cardiology Interventional Shelbyville |
| Cardiology Lipids OHO |
| Cardiology Anti-Coagulation Franklin |
| Cardiology Anti-Coagulation Murfreesboro |
| Cardiology Anti-Coagulation OHO |
| Cardiology Nuclear MCE 5 |
| Surgery Cardiac MCE 5 |
| Pulmonary Sleep TVC B |
| VASAP Franklin |
| VASAP Gallatin |
| VASAP Otology West End |
| VASAP West End |
| VASAP Infusion West End |
| Clinical Research Center |
| Gastroenterology IBD |
| Gastroenterology ECL |
| Gastroenterology Liver Transplant |
| Hillsboro Medical Group |
| Internal Medicine ECL |
| Nephrology TVC |
| Primary Care North OHO – Pod A |
| Primary Care North OHO – Pod B |
| Primary Care North OHO – Pod C |
| Primary Care North OHO – Pod D |
| Primary Care Bellevue |
| Primary Care Brentwood Shoppes |
| Primary Care ECL |
| Primary Care Green Hills |
| Primary Care Nolensville |
| Primary Care Westhaven |
| Rheumatology Cool Springs |
| Rheumatology Green Hills |
| Rheumatology Spring Hill |
| Rheumatology Infusion Cool Springs |
| Neurodiagnostics EEG TVC B |
| Neurosurgery Royal Oaks |
| Neurology Sleep ECL |
| Ophthalmology Comprehensive Spring Hill |
| Ophthalmology Retina Bowling Green |
| Orthopaedics Foot and Ankle Gallatin |
| Orthopaedics General Spring Hill |
| Orthopaedics Physical Therapy Cool Springs |
| General Otolaryngology Franklin |
| PM&R Cardiology Pulmonary Rehab Dayani |
| PM&R Clinic Stallworth |
| PM&R Medicine Osher |
| PM&R Physical Therapy Dayani |
| PM&R Physical Therapy Osher |
| PM&R Spine OHO |
| Surgery Burn Clinic VUH 11S |
| Surgery Cosmetics Brentwood |
| Surgery General ECL |
| Surgery General TVC 3 |
| Surgical Weight Loss OHO |
| OBGYN General Thompson Station |
| OBGYN Midwifery Melrose |
| OBGYN Midwifery West End |
| OBGYN MIS Cool Springs |
| OBGYN Urogynecology OHO |
| Areas – Pediatric |
| Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Cardiac Cath Lab |
| Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt Operating Room |
| Pediatric Cardiology EP General DOT 5 |
| Pediatric Cardiology Jackson |
| Pediatric Endocrinology DOT 6 |
| Pediatric Endocrinology ECL |
| Pediatric Infectious Diseases DOT 6 |
| Pediatric Pulmonary DOT 10 |
| University Pediatrics OHO |
| Pediatric Physical Therapy OHO |
| Clinician – Adult |
| Tina Allocco, BA, MSN |
| Ronald D. Alvarez, MD |
| Tyler E. Ames, DMD |
| Kristin K. Ancell, MD |
| Federica Angel, MD |
| Rachel Apple, MD |
| Amy E. Armstrong, APRN |
| Katelyn Atwater, MD |
| Michael T. Baker, MD |
| Naira Baregamian, MD, FACS |
| Alison Barlow, APRN, MSN |
| Julie B. Barnes, APRN |
| Sharmin Basher, MD |
| Gerasimos Bastas, MD, PhD |
| R. Daniel Beauchamp, MD, FACS |
| Shannon S. Bell, APRN |
| Bruce R. Beyer, MD |
| Kelly A. Birdwell, MD |
| Lindsay A. Bischoff, MD |
| Cynthia A. Blalock, APRN |
| Karen C. Bloch, MD, MPH |
| Christopher Bonfield, MD |
| John M. Boone, Jr., MD |
| Jennifer M. Bradley, APRN |
| Taylor W. Brewer, MSM, PA |
| Joseph Broucek, MD |
| Alaina J. Brown, MD, MPH |
| Kelly M. Brown, MD |
| Rheanna A. Brown, PhD |
| Anna M. Burgner, MD |
| Rochell L. Burton, APRN |
| Kevin W. Byram, MD |
| Jane Case, DNP |
| Jill C. Cash, APRN |
| Jonazary R. Cervone, DO |
| Rachel W. Champion, MD |
| Rakesh K. Chandra, MD |
| Sam S. Chang, MD |
| Cody A. Chastain, MD |
| Angela Chen, MD |
| Michelle Tzue-E Chi, MD |
| Geoffrey Chidsey, MD |
| Sallaya D. Chinratanalab, MD |
| Rohan Chitale, MD |
| Margaret M. Chotard, APRN |
| Naweed I. Chowdhury, MD |
| Andre Churchwell, MD |
| Kristen K. Ciombor, MD, MSCI |
| Walter K. Clair, MD, MPH |
| Amos Clark, MD |
| Lynn E. Clement, APRN |
| Brannan U. Cole, APRN |
| Shanita Coleman-Dockery, APRN |
| Bethany M. Cones, APRN |
| Sarah B. Connor, APRN |
| Charles L. Cox III, MD |
| Kaylin Craig, MD |
| Marta A. Crispens, MD |
| John A. Curci, MD |
| Howard L. Curlin, MD |
| Kathryn M. Dahir, MD |
| Robin L. Dalal, MD |
| Julie B. Damp, MD |
| Satya B. Das, MD |
| Claire S. Davis, APRN |
| Karen F. Davis, MD |
| Nancy B. Davis, MD |
| Ross L. Dawkins, MD |
| Kirby H. Deeter, DPM |
| Jan Delozier, MD |
| Mihir J. Desai, MD |
| Cindy A. Desio, APRN |
| Anna K. Dewan, MD |
| Tracey L. DeWire, APRN |
| Bhagirathbhai Dholaria, MD |
| Glenn C. Douglas, MD |
| Katherine S. Dowdall, APRN |
| Madalene D. Drummond, APRN |
| Ryszard Dworski, MD |
| Michael F. Eagle, PA |
| Mary E. Egger, APRN |
| Tom Elasy, MD |
| Darrel Ellis, MD |
| Maie El-Sourady, MD |
| Wayne J. English, MD |
| Daniel W. Enroth, APRN |
| Erin L. Fairbrother, MD |
| William H. Fissell IV, MD |
| Pete Fong, MD |
| Amy E. Fortner, APRN |
| Michael J. Fowler, MD |
| Howard A. Fuchs, MD |
| Matthew R. Fusco, MD |
| Jay Gainer III, MD |
| Lawrence S. Gaines, PhD |
| Gaelyn Garrett, MD, MMHC |
| Jennifer Gartman, PA |
| Timothy M. Geiger, MD |
| Michael K. Gibson, MD, PhD |
| Jill Gilbert, MD |
| Erin Alexis Gillaspie, MD |
| Laurie C. Goerzen, APRN |
| Thomas A. Golper, MD |
| Leann D. Gordon, CFNP, RNFA |
| James E. Gore, MD |
| Edward R. Gould, MD |
| Ana Grau, MD |
| Sarah Graves, APRN |
| Jennifer K. Green, MD, MPH |
| Jennifer Ricks Green, MD |
| Shawn A. Gregory, MD |
| Michelle L. Griffith, MD |
| David D. Hagaman, MD |
| Janie L. Hagan, APRN |
| Jennifer L. Halpern, MD |
| Regina S. Hamlet, FNP-C |
| David E. Hansen, MD |
| Kathryn A. Hansen, APRN |
| Travis Hassell, MD |
| Crystal C. Hawkins, APRN |
| Sara E. Hedrich, FNP |
| Bill Heerman, MD, MPH |
| Paula Herrmann, MD |
| Kent K. Higdon, MD |
| Tiffany E. Hines, MD |
| Tim Hinton, MD |
| Ashley B. Hoadley, FNP-BC |
| Rhonda R. Hollins-Dortch, APRN |
| Michael D. Holzman, MD, MPH |
| Rob R. Hood, MD |
| Mary A. Hooks, MD, MBA, FACS |
| Leora Horn, MD |
| Sara N. Horst, MD, MPH |
| Sean G. Hughes, MD |
| Margaret A. Hull, MSN, WHNP |
| Wade T. Iams, MD |
| Waleed N. Irani, MD |
| David A. Isaacs, MD |
| Amir A. Jahangir, MD, MMHC |
| Ashley B. Johnson, RN, NP |
| Benjamin J. Johnston, MD, FACS |
| Jill Jones, MD |
| Zachary J. Jones, MD |
| Hillary Kaplan, MD |
| Mohana Karlekar, MD |
| Vicki L. Keedy, MD |
| Josh Kellett, DO |
| Jennifer C. Kelley, MD, MSCE |
| Mark C. Kelley, MD |
| Sean G. Kelly, MD |
| David T. Kent, MD |
| Waleed Khalaf, MD |
| Soo H. Kim, MD, MPH |
| Stephen J. Kim, MD |
| Anna T. Kirk, MSN, WHNP |
| Austin Kirschner, MD, PhD |
| Heather C. Koons, MD |
| Sapna P. Kripalani, MD |
| Marvin W. Kronenberg, MD |
| Susan F. Kroop, MD |
| John E. Kuhn, MD |
| Eric S. Lambright, MD |
| Lisa H. Lancaster, MD |
| Ralph J. Laneve III, MD |
| Ashlee C. Lecorps, APRN |
| Barbara G. Carranza Leon, MD |
| Julia B. Lewis, MD |
| Christopher Lind, MD |
| Catherine Linn, MD |
| Melissa McGuire Logue, APRN |
| James M. Luther, MD |
| Jamie MacDonald, MD |
| Fabien Maldonado, MD |
| Kyle Mannion, MD |
| Megan G. Manor, MSN, WHNP |
| Carrie C. Marchman, MD |
| William Martinez, MD, MS |
| Dora S. Mathe, DO, FAAO |
| Jessica L. Mather, MD |
| Louise A. Mawn, MD |
| Ingrid Mayer, MD, MSCI |
| Stephanie A. McAbee, MD |
| Tonna L. McCutcheon, APRN |
| Mary R. McDowell, APRN |
| John McPherson, MD |
| Beth Meador, MSN |
| Lisa A. Mendes, MD |
| Ingrid Meszoely, MD |
| Gregory F. Michaud, MD |
| Lisa D. Milam, MSN, MSN, WHNP |
| Jami Miller, MD |
| Matt Miller, MD |
| Nicole L. Miller, MD |
| Robert F. Miller, MD |
| Kevin Mitchell Jr, MD, Pharm.D. |
| Sanjay Mohan, MD, MSCI |
| Ken Monahan, MD, MS |
| Sally H. Monahan, MD |
| Lauren G. Moody, WHNP-BC, MSN |
| Karin C. Moolman, MD |
| Paul L. Moots, MD |
| David S. Morgan, MD |
| Celia B. Morse, APRN |
| Sandi Moutsios, MD |
| Huck Muldowney III, MD |
| Allen J. Naftilan, MD, PhD |
| Robb Nash, APRN |
| Jonathan C. Nesbitt, MD |
| James L. Netterville, MD |
| Melinda New, MD |
| Ken Niermann, MD, MSCI |
| Ed Odom Jr., MD |
| Anne O’Duffy, MD |
| Veronica L. Oldfield, APRN |
| Amanda M. Olson, MD |
| Evan Osmundson, MD, PhD |
| Scott R. Parker, MD |
| Dhyanesh A. Patel, MD |
| Shriji N. Patel, MD |
| John Peach, MD |
| Galen Perdikis, MD |
| Roman E. Perri, MD |
| Anna K. Person, MD |
| Neeraja Peterson, MD, MSc |
| Amanda R. Phelps, PA |
| Fenna T. Phibbs, MD, MPH |
| Robert Piana, MD |
| Holly R. Pierce, APRN |
| Richard A. Pierce, MD, PhD, FACS |
| Nicole A. Poirier, APRN |
| Michael K. Porayko, MD |
| Lauren S. Prescott, MD, PhD |
| Anna E. Prestwich, APRN |
| Jan Price, MD |
| Meredith E. Pugh, MD, MSCI |
| Stephen P. Raffanti, MD, MPH |
| Nishitha M. Reddy, MD, MSCI |
| Kathryn V. Reese, APRN, FNP |
| Brent N. Rexer, MD, PhD |
| Heather Ridinger, MD |
| William R. Ries, MD |
| Samuel G. Robbins III, APRN |
| Joshua L. Robinson, OD |
| Sarah L. Rohde, MD |
| Raymond R. Romano III, APRN |
| Connie F. Root, APRN |
| Tony L. Ross, MD |
| Ben H. Rowan III, MD |
| Charles B. Rush, MD |
| Rone P. Russell, PA |
| Pablo J. Saavedra, MD |
| Shabnam Sarker, MD |
| Michael R. Savona, MD |
| Andrew E. Scanga, MD |
| Kristen R. Scarpato, MD |
| Heidi M. Schaefer, MD |
| Laurel A. Schaefer, APRN |
| Daniel Schuster, MD |
| Herbert S. Schwartz, MD |
| Leon R. Scott, MD |
| John S. Sergent, MD |
| Ashish S. Shah, MD |
| Hamid M. Shah, MD |
| Ciara M. Shaver, MD, PhD |
| James R. Sheller, MD |
| Kristen B. Sherman, PA-C |
| Valerie A. Shields, PA |
| Andrew A. Shinar, MD |
| Alexandra Shingina, MD |
| Eric Shinohara, MD, MSCI |
| Katie Sibler, APRN |
| Robert J. Sinard, MD, FACS |
| Christopher Sizemore, DO |
| Emily Skotte, APRN |
| David A. Slosky, MD |
| Kevin Smith, MD, PhD, MMHC, FACP |
| Deborah A. Snedegar, APRN |
| Matthew D. Spann, MD |
| Anderson Spickard III, MD |
| Natalie M. Spradlin, MD |
| Subramaniam Sriram, MD |
| Jacqueline Stafford, MD |
| William G. Stebbins, MD |
| Eli Steigelfest, MD |
| Catherine V. Stober, MD |
| Derrick L. Stratton, APRN |
| Stephen A. Strickland Jr, MD, MSCI |
| John B. Summit, MD |
| Craig R. Sussman, MD |
| Martha D. Sutherland, APRN |
| Raeshell S. Sweeting, MD |
| S. Bobo Tanner, MD |
| Shayne S. Taylor, MD |
| Cecilia N. Theobald, MD, MPH |
| Reid C. Thompson, MD |
| Benjamin F. Tillman, MD |
| Uyen L. Tran, MD |
| Carmen R. Tuchman, MD |
| Andrea L. Utz, MD, PhD |
| Janice M. Vinson, MD |
| Kimberly N. Vinson, MD |
| Arthur S. Walters, MD |
| Zhijian Wang, APRN |
| Melissa A. Warren, MD |
| Cynthia M. Wasden, APRN |
| Kenneth Watford, DNP, APRN |
| Douglas R. Weikert, MD |
| Melissa F. Wellons, MD |
| Kyla Wentz, PA |
| Lee E. Wheless, MD, PhD |
| Bobby White, MD |
| Nicola C. White, MD |
| Therese L. Whitten, MD |
| Mark A. Wigger, MD |
| Julian S. Winocour, MD |
| Dana Wirth, BS, MSN, FNP |
| Benjamin Womack, MD |
| Cynthia C. Woodall, MD |
| Sherry D. Wright, APRN |
| Beth A. Yakes, MD |
| Aaron J. Yang, MD |
| Sally J. York, MD, PhD |
| Amanda C. Yunker, DO, MSCR |
| Chongbin Zhu, LAC |
| John A. Zic, MD |
| Carl W. Zimmerman, MD |
| Jeffrey P. Zwerner, MD, PhD |
| Clinician – Pediatri |
| Margaret W. Anderson, DNP |
| Catherine E. Arthur-Johnson, MD |
| Lydia Belcher, APRN |
| Sunny Bell, MD |
| Riha G. Bhatt, MD |
| Cassandra C. Brady, MD |
| Tom Doyle, MD |
| Mohammad F. Fazili, MD |
| Justin A. Godown, MD |
| Alisa C. Gotte, MD |
| Thomas B. Graham, MD |
| Einar T. Hafberg, MD |
| Stacy L. Hawkins, APRN |
| Irene Hong-McAtee, MD, MS |
| Tara M. Huss, MD |
| Megan E. Johnson, MD |
| Harold N. Lovvorn III, MD |
| Cindy K. Lybarger, APRN |
| Rachel L. Mace, MD |
| James D. Moore, MD |
| Allison E. Norton, MD |
| Michael G. O’Connor, MD |
| Sarah E. Parker, MD |
| James D. Phillips, MD |
| Andrew Radbill, MD |
| Mark E. Rawls, MD |
| Shilpa B. Reddy, MD |
| Alice M. Rothman, MD |
| Bill Russell, MD |
| Jonathan G. Schoenecker, MD |
| Jill H. Simmons, MD |
| Carlenda M. Smith, MD |
| Andrew G. Sokolow, MD |
| Stephanie M. Spence, APRN |
| Jill E. Steigelfest, MD |
| John C. Thomas, MD |
| Timothy H. Thomas, MD, MMHC |
| Frank W. Virgin Jr., MD |
| Amy S. Whigham, MD |
| Jennifer C. Kelley, MD, MSCE |
| Rene G. Vandevoorde III, MD |
