The Medical Leader

It doesn’t get much bigger than this. This is like winning the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four or the World Series for a hospital.

Pikeville Medical Center has been named the National Hospital of the Year by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers (AAHP). The hospital was among 400 elite health care facilities to apply for this prestigious honor.

“This award validates what I see every day,” May said. “We have positioned ourselves as one of the premier hospitals in the nation. We will celebrate our anniversary in December and we have only just begun.”

Earlier this year, Pikeville Medical Center was recognized as a Hospital of Choice recipient by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers. No other health care facility in Kentucky earned this distinction.

To earn the honor, PMC competed against over 400 hospitals, including the Mayo Clinic, the John Hopkins Hospital, Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, the Cleveland Clinic, Duke University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University. None of these hospitals have been named the National Hospital of the Year.

Pikeville Medical Center underwent a thorough on-site survey from the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers that was based on six principle areas: standards of conduct, performance management and improvement, staff development and training, systems of communication, good citizenship and educational and promotional material available to consumers. The award aims to find the nation’s most customer-friendly hospital.

Jerry Johnson, Chief Operating Officer at Pikeville Medical Center, said the hospital’s unwavering commitment to provide world-class care at home starts with the hospital’s more than 1,700 employees.

“We feel that a world-class hospital is not only measured in its technological advances or services, but also by our world-class employees who are committed to providing quality care,” Johnson added. “As an organization, we have set high goals, and we truly feel that the nation’s very best health care can be found here in the mountains of eastern Kentucky.”

Patty Thompson, Director of Customer Service at Pikeville Medical Center, said the hospital has always placed patient care a top priority.

“Our passion for our work is evident in our mission to provide ‘quality, regional health care in a Christian environment,’” Thompson said.

PIKEVILLE - Pikeville Medical Center has been named the nation’s top hospital by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers (AAHP).

The hospital was selected as a top 10 finalist among 400 qualifying health care facilities for the Hospital of the Year award earlier this year. Among other honors, the hospital named a Hospital of Choice recipient by the AAHP.

After an on-site survey, the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers selected Pikeville Medical Center for the honor based on six principle areas including: standards of conduct, performance management and improvement, staff development and training, systems of communication, good citizenship and educational and promotional material available to consumers.

“We have made a commitment to not only be one of Kentucky’s best hospitals, but one of the best hospitals in the nation,” said Walter E. May, president and chief executive officer at Pikeville Medical Center. “This award validates the hard work of our more than 1,700 employees who work diligently to provide world-class care to our patients.”

It has been a year of national accolades for Pikeville Medical Center. Last month, the hospital was selected as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work by Modern Healthcare Magazine. This award recognizes some of the nation’s most outstanding health care organizations and focuses on an organization’s development, commitment to customer service and communication with employees.

As part of the selection process, Modern Healthcare conducted a detailed survey of PMC employees based on eight core areas: leadership and planning, culture and communications, role satisfaction, working environment, relationship with supervisor, training and development, pay and benefits and overall satisfaction. PMC was one of 317 companies competing for this prestigious honor.

“We take great pride in offering world-class services to our region, but we also take great pride in having world-class employees who are dedicated to our mission of providing quality, regional health care in a Christian environment,” said Jerry Johnson, chief operating officer at Pikeville Medical Center. “As an organization, we have set high goals and standards. The awards and recognitions we earn is a reflection of our employees and their dedication in delivering quality care to our patients.”

About Pikeville Medical Center

Pikeville Medical Center is a nationally recognized health care facility that offers more than 300 services, ranging from cardiac and cancer care to neurosurgery and orthopedic programs. The hospital, recognized as one of Kentucky’s Top 10 “Best Places to Work” for two consecutive years, was recently selected as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work by Modern Healthcare Magazine. PMC was also the first hospital in Kentucky - and among the first 10 hospitals in the nation - to be awarded the highest accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. The hospital is a 261-bed modern facility on a sprawling 500,000 square-foot campus with more than 1,700 employees. Our employees are committed to providing quality, regional health care in a Christian environment.