Rural Hospital Thrives With Continuous Improvement and Innovation

Summary: Not long ago, poor internal communication, low morale, and high staff turnover were the norm at Wright Medical Center. A new CEO ushered in a culture change with the hospital focusing on open communication and accountability. Soon publicly sharing all patient comments—both positive and negative—became standard practice. After implementing a pillar system with six key areas for performance improvement, Wright Medical Center is now a destination of choice for healthcare in north central Iowa with patient satisfaction scores among the highest in the nation. During its decade-long quality journey, the hospital captured several state and national awards, including two Press Ganey Summit Awards and silver and bronze awards in the Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence program.