Recognition, Awards & Honors
At Kootenai Health, our staff and physicians work to provide the best patient care possible.
As a result, Kootenai has garnered top recognition from our patients, peers and national organizations. It's all part of our continued commitment to service excellence, community leadership and compassionate care.
Exceeding Patient Expectations - Avatar International
Avatar International, Inc., a leader in measuring healthcare customers' expectations, named Kootenai as an award recipient for "Exceeding Patient Expectations."
Kootenai has been a consistent award-winner with Avatar International since 2002. Patients receiving both inpatient and outpatient services are surveyed by Avatar regarding their expectations of Kootenai. During 2006, as in previous years, the hospital consistently received positive scores for meeting and exceeding its patients' expectations.
Community Value - Top 100 and Five-Star Ranking
Kootenai Medical Center has been named a Five-Star Hospital and a Top 100 Hospital in a recent Community Value Index, CVI, produced by the healthcare financial consulting firm Cleverley and Associates.
Each year the Ohio-based group evaluates some 3,000 hospitals nationwide, ranking them on three important areas: financial viability and plant reinvestment, cost structure and charge structure. Findings in these areas are used to determine a hospital's ability to remain viable while providing the services needed in its community.
Five-Star ranking means that Kootenai scored in the top 20 percent of surveyed hospitals. Additionally, Kootenai was named as scoring in the top 100 CVI hospitals surveyed nationally.
Clinical and Operational Excellence - VHA President's Award
VHA Inc., a national health care alliance, has recognized Kootenai Medical Center with its President's Award for Clinical and Operational Excellence. Kootenai is one of only three hospitals to receive the award two years in a row.
The award for Clinical Excellence was received primarily for work in three important areas: acute myocardial infarction, also known as AMI or more commonly, heart attack care, pneumonia care, and the development of an multi-disciplinary rapid response team.
Computer Technology - Most Wired / Wireless Hospital
Kootenai Medical Center has been recognized for being at the leading edge of computer technology. For the eighth time in the past nine years Kootenai was named one of the 100 Most Wired hospitals in the country according to a survey released by Hospitals & Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association. Kootenai is also named one of the Top 25 Most Wireless hospitals in this same survey.
Hospital and Health Networks surveyed more than 1,200 hospitals across the nation to name the 100 Most Wired hospitals in the 2007 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study.
Nursing Excellence - MagnetTM Status Designation
On February 15, 2006 Kootenai was granted MagnetTM Status by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This designation is nursing's top honor, accepted nationally as the gold standard in nursing excellence. We are the second hospital in Idaho to receive this designation and the first in the Inland Empire. It is a true acknowledgement of our excellence and our commitment to continually improve the quality of our services and relationships.
Cardiac Excellence - Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care
Kootenai Medical Center has been designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care by the BlueCross BlueShield Association, which includes Premera BlueCross and Regence BlueShield. The national distinction is awarded to hospitals achieving quality standards, demonstrating better patient outcomes, and providing affordable care.
Quality Care for All Patients - Top Quality Performer
Kootenai Medical Center has been recognized as a Top Quality Performer in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration. This award demonstrates Kootenai's dedication to providing quality healthcare for all patients.
Neurodiagnositic Excellence - ABRET Certification
In 2007, the EEG Laboratory in the Neurodiagnostics Department at Kootenai Health received accreditation from the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists - "ABRET". Kootenai is just the 22nd facility in the nation and the only group in the Northwest to meet the rigorous standards for accreditation. ABRET's Lab Accreditation process evaluates technical standards, the quality of the laboratory's output and lab management issues. Successful accreditation means an EEG lab has met strict standards and is recognized as a place where patients and physicians can have confidence they are receiving quality diagnosis.
Past awards also include:
Named one of the best hospitals the nation for back & neck surgery
Idaho Nurse of the Year - Julie Hoerner
Idaho Trustee of the Year 2003 - Dr. Duane Daugharty
Idaho Trustee of the Year 2007 - Dr. Jim Curtis
Joint Commission Accreditation of Hospital Organizations Survey
Three-Year Commendation awarded to Cancer Center