Putting Veterans first: How the Western North Carolina VA leads the way

The Western North Carolina VA Health Care System (WNCVAHCS), and its main hospital the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina, was recognized for its exceptional commitment to employee and patient experience, as demonstrated by its performance metrics.

The medical center consistently ranks among the top 10 VA facilities for Overall Hospital Rating based on sustained results from the Survey of Healthcare Experience of Patients (SHEP), VA’s Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning (SAIL), and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS).

With an impressive Overall Hospital Rating of 95.1% for fiscal year 2025, this facility surpasses the national average of 73.4%, earning a first-place ranking on the SAIL scorecard.

As one of the nation’s leading VA health care systems, its dual 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) highlights exceptional efforts in critical areas such as quality and patient experience.

“Our CMS dual 5-Star rating and our high trust scores are the result of building a lasting culture that puts the Veteran first in all that we do,” said David Przestrzelski, associate director for patient care services and chief nurse executive at WNCVAHCS.

This culture of excellence has earned the medical center numerous awards at VA’s National Customer Experience Symposium, including the Best Overall Experience Award in 2024 and 2018, as well as the Best Experience Award for a VHA Facility Complexity Level 1 in 2022.

What’s the secret to its success?

Consistently recognized as one of the ‘best places to work’ among all facilities, according to VA’s All Employee Survey results, the medical center’s unique culture prioritizes employee satisfaction, knowing it directly impacts patient experience (PX).

“Employee satisfaction is one of our most important pillars; therefore, when our team is satisfied, it translates into top-notch patient care,” said Craig Holbert, assistant director, WNCVAHCS.

Leadership fosters engagement by maintaining open communication and sharing patient feedback and experience data metrics while also highlighting staff accomplishments. Using PX tools, staff are fully engaged in identifying improvement opportunities and developing solutions to drive a better experience.

“We routinely seek out the voices, expertise and innovative thinking of those who have immeasurable insight… those on the frontlines of their respective work areas,” said Stacey DiMuzio, Veterans Experience officer, WNCVAHCS.

Leading the way through Innovation and training

WNCVAHCS has implemented numerous patient experience toolkits, including the “Quiet at Night” initiative. It was also a 2022 VHA Shark Tank winner for the White Noise Project for improving inpatient satisfaction. By providing sound machines at Veterans’ bedsides, creating process improvement measures like fixing squeaky doors, acquiring acoustic artwork, and adding padding to wheeled equipment to reduce noise, it improved the hospital’s quietness scores, which currently stand at 75.2% for fiscal year 2025, exceeding the national average of 55.1%. Veterans are even provided with comfort carts and hygiene kits to make their inpatient stays more comfortable.

The widely embraced Tour of Duty training is included in new employee orientation, as well as training on patient survey platforms like VSignals and SHEP. All staff complete Own the Moment training, and leadership participates in WECARE Leadership Rounding to check in with employees and patients. WNCVAHCS was among the first to participate in Moments that Matter: Virtual Reality Training, allowing staff to experience the inpatient discharge process from the patient’s perspective and interact virtually with VA clinicians. It acquired virtual reality headsets and expanded the use of virtual reality treatments for integrative medicine.

“The best hospital in the United States”

Patient feedback says it all.

“I would never receive the care and attention at a civilian hospital that I get at VA,” commented one Veteran. “The Charles George VA Medical Center is an excellent facility, and that’s because of the folks who work there.”

Another Veteran added, “I’ve been coming to this hospital for 23 years, and for 23 years, this hospital has been exceptional in their care for me. I believe this is the best hospital in the United States.”