Sharp Coronado earns Award for Patient Experience

Over the last two years, the Emergency Department (ED) at Sharp Coronado Hospital has faced — and overcome — many challenges.

During several waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of ER visits has increased exponentially, and the severity of patient illness has been at an all-time high. Through it all, the team has pulled together, created new and more efficient processes, redesigned care areas, and embraced difficult situations with resilience and compassion.

In February, the ED team was recognized for all their hard work by Press Ganey, an organization that highlights the outstanding achievements of health care providers. It awarded the Sharp Coronado ED with a 2021 Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award for Patient Experience. The award honors organizations that have achieved the 95th percentile or higher on nationwide patient satisfaction surveys.

The staff at Sharp Coronado is grateful and excited to receive this distinguished award.

“What an honor to receive this award, especially after our very trying last year,” says Dr. Gregory Apel, medical director of the Sharp Coronado Hospital Emergency Department. “This is a true testament to our amazing team. I couldn’t be more proud than I am today to work with such amazing caregivers.”

And hospital leadership is amazed at how the ED team united and persevered during such a trying time.

“I will never forget how this incredible team came together to ensure exceptional care and service for our community, just when they needed us most,” says Marlena Montgomery, chief nursing officer at Sharp Coronado Hospital.

Thanks to philanthropic support from the community and a leadership gift from an anonymous donor, Sharp Coronado will be able to continue its great work by expanding its emergency services. Scheduled to open in fall 2023, the expanded Emergency and Intensive Care departments will allow Sharp Coronado caregivers to continue to provide excellent patient-centered care to the community.

If you need emergency care, you can save a spot in the ER with Sharp Coronado’s convenient online scheduling tool.