Edward ERs score highly on national survey

Naperville and Plainfield are home to two of the nation's best emergency rooms based on a recent survey by an independent firm.

Press Ganey, a company specializing in collecting data about patient satisfaction for the health care industry, said visitors ranked Edward Hospital's ER in Naperville, combined with Plainfield's Edward 24/7 ER, in the top 1 percent for patient satisfaction in three categories: nationally, regionally and for ERs that treat more than 50,000 patients.

"We have a really, really good team at both campuses that I'm very proud of," said Cindy Rentsch, director of emergency services for Edward. "They work very hard, I think, to maintain the fact that the customer is of the utmost importance and that we want to make sure the patient feels like they're well taken care of, as well as the family."

The survey, which was conducted between Jan. 1 and March 31, asked patients from more than 1,000 hospitals nationwide to rate their experience with wait time, interaction with doctors and nurses and treatment of family and friends in the emergency room.

Plainfield's Edward facility, which averages more than 1,800 patient visits a month, had the highest overall score from the survey.

"(The ranking) is impressive because of the number of folks who come through the ER," said Keith Hartenberger, public relations specialist for Edward. "People are seen and treated in very quick fashion,"

Rentsch said the average wait time for the Plainfield center is 13 minutes. In Naperville, the average wait is 23 minutes for adults and 10 minutes for children. Hospital officials estimate Edward's emergency rooms in Naperville and Plainfield will combine to treat about 85,000 patients in 2010.

Press Ganey officials confirmed the Edward rankings but declined to discuss other area hospitals in the survey citing confidentiality concerns.