Honoring Excellence in Patient Communications
May 12, 2022
“Amazing! Phenomenal! Thank you for always showing genuine concern. You are kind, considerate and caring. You are interested in me. You are the best doctor I have ever had. I trust you with my life. You act on things, right away. You are awesome. You have saved my life, and my family. You are knowledgeable, thorough, intelligent and compassionate. You are my favorite. You are my angel baby. You have made me better. You always make me feel like a success, even if I could have tried harder. I love you. I thank you.” These are some of the comments made by patients regarding their doctors and advanced practice providers honored this morning by Sy Johnson, President and Chief of Staff for Renown Health.
In honor of Healthcare Week, Renown Medical Group, the largest medical practice in northern Nevada, honored 46 physicians and advanced practice providers at the Dr. John Spellman Excellence in Patient Communications Award Celebration. This new annual award, supported by the Renown Health Foundation charitable organization and a donor family, honors physicians and advanced practice providers who demonstrate exceptional communications skills in their clinical practice, as awarded by their patients. Recipients of this award are ranked in the top ten percent nationally in provider communication for 2021, as measured by over 11 thousand patients who responded to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CG-CAPHS) or Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems patient experience survey between October 2020 and June 2021.
Patients were asked if their medical providers explained things in a way they could understand; if they listened carefully; if they showed respect for what they had to say; if they spent enough time with them; if they read their medical records; if they ordered tests and followed up with them on their results; and to give them a rating on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 was the highest score. “As honorees, your patients have given you a 10, an A+ and you set the gold standard for excellent communications with patients-scoring in the top 10% nationally,” said Rahul Mediwala, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Renown Medical Group.
“I love what I do, and it’s wonderful to know that my patients appreciate the care I provide,” said Christina Alsop, DNP, one of the providers honored today. The awards were given in remembrance of Dr. John W. Spellman, human rights advocate, scholar and professor, 7/27/1934 to 6/25/2021 by his family.
The Recipients of the 2021 Dr. John Spellman Excellence in Patient Communications Award are:
- Alsop, Christina
- Barangan, Caroline J.
- Basho, Shruti
- Bloch, Melissa P
- Bryan, Janice K.
- Budhecha, Sonia
- Burgio, Pamela A.
- Cavin, Lisa C.
- Dimpel, Ashley J.
- Dorsa, Denise J.
- Galanopoulos, Christos A.
- Galdo, Bella B.
- Grudzinski, Courtney Dianne
- Hansen, Benjamin
- Hardacre, Michael C.
- Healy, Sara Anne
- Kermode, Charlotte A.
- Kiser, Michele J.
- Klippenstein, Matthew
- Landis, Philip H.
- May, Whitney
- Medina, Mary Beth E.
- Mindeguia, Catherine E.
- Miyagawa, Dean
- Moore, Willa F.
- Morris, Katelyn
- Morton, Lillian
- Nielsen, Lorri
- Nylk, Janina
- Park, Susan J.
- Patel, Bejal
- Powers, Cindy M.
- Roumanas, Athan
- Safdi, Adam
- Sandefur, Lauren L.
- Schnell Blitstein, Jamie M.
- Silverhart, Julie A.
- Stodtmeister, Russell T.
- Sutton, Jennifer B.
- Tay, Jennifer
- Thyssen, Katherine A.
- Wagner, Karen
- Wiese, Matthew C.
- Wilson, Kristin L,
- Zucker, Jacob P.
Patients served include those at Renown Regional Medical Center, the only Level II Trauma Center between Sacramento and Salt Lake City, and #1 Hospital in the State of Nevada in U.S. News and World Report Best Hospital Rankings for 2021. Physicians and providers also provide services to patients at Renown South Meadows Medical Center, named #1 Best Hospital for 2020 by U.S. News & World Report; and to patients at RenownRehabilitation Hospital, northern Nevada’s only Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)- accredited hospital, specializing in the treatment of brain injury, spinal cord injury and stroke.
Renown Health is integrated with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Nevada’s first medical school, which serves to enhance the health of the community through increased access to care, innovative health care delivery, expansion of clinical research and training for the next generation of physicians and health care professionals.
Almost 700 Renown Medical Group primary care and specialty providers are currently accepting new patients and accept most health insurance plans, including Renown’s not-for-profit insurance plan, Hometown Health. To find the doctor or provider that is best for you visit renown.org, or self schedule with your established provider at MyChart or call the Renown Customer Engagement Center at 775-982-4100.
Renown Health is currently hiring in all areas. Search for a new career opportunity and apply online at careers.renown.org.
About Renown Health
Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally governed, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 7,000 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network, and the region’s largest, locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown is currently enrolling participants in the world’s largest community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®. For more information, visit renown.org.