UMH Recognized for Two National Awards In Employee Experience

Uvalde Memorial Hospital is recognized as a leader within the healthcare industry in employee experience on two levels.

Uvalde Memorial Hospital (UMH) is thrilled to share the Hospital has been recognized as a 2023 Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award® winner and 2023 Human Experience Pinnacle of Excellence Award®by Press Ganey (PG), the global leader in healthcare experience solutions and services. This award is part of Press Ganey’s annual ranking of the top hospitals and health systems in the country, according to performance in employee experience, announced by PG on January 8, 2024.

As a winner of both PG’s Guardian of Excellence Award® and Pinnacle of Excellence Award®, UMH falls in the top 5% of healthcare providers in delivering a positive employee experience in the last year.

“These types of awards are a reminder to all healthcare institutions that passion, determination, and quality of care go hand-in-hand in making an organization successful. These awards also represent the culmination of perseverance, hard work, and dedication to our community’s health by all members of our organization. Every day I come to work in awe of the incredible staff and physicians that I am privileged to work with,” said UMH’s Adam Apolinar, chief executive officer.

“These awards give us the reassurance that we’re achieving our mission of providing high-quality, compassionate care. But we also understand that the journey does not end here; tomorrow brings new challenges and obstacles to overcoming. Therefore, we must continue to strive to be the best every single day in all that we do,” Apolinar added.

UMH human resources officer, Charla Garcia, attributes the hospital’s successful employee engagement to a few different strategies. Most notably, quarterly employee forums, hosted by all senior staff, are offered for employees to attend and learn details about hospital happenings. These serve as an chance to reinforce ongoing, transparent and open communication. Additionally, employee rounding by over thirty managers and directors takes place monthly in a cross-departmental fashion. Rounding allows an opportunity to identify critical staff input on workflows that are going well, challenges or barriers, process efficiencies or inefficiencies, and tools or equipment needs.

Press Ganey works with more than 41,000 healthcare facilities to improve the overall safety, quality and experience of care.

“Each day, Uvalde Memorial exemplifies dedication to their patients and workforce, showcasing a commitment that extends beyond the boundaries of their facilities,” said Patrick T. Ryan, Chairman and CEO of Press Ganey.

“In prioritizing both their employees and the communities they serve, UMH sets a remarkable standard for compassionate healthcare. It is with great honor that we stand as partners, celebrating the outstanding achievements of UMH,” Ryan added.