September 18, 2007
Martha Pendleton
Director, Marketing & Planning
St. Edward Mercy Health Network
479-221-7121
mpendleton@mercy.net
St. Edward Mercy Honored for Fourth Straight Year
On Monday, September 17th, the National Research Corporation (NRC) announced its 2007/08 Community Choice Award Winners in Modern Healthcare magazine. St. Edward Mercy Medical Center was announced as the Consumer Choice Winner for Fort Smith, AR.
The award identifies hospitals which healthcare consumers have chosen as having the highest quality and image in over 190 markets throughout the US. This is the twelfth year NRC has presented this award—St. Edward Mercy has received it for the last four years.
St. Edward Mercy Health Network President/CEO, Jerry Stevenson, is pleased that St. Edward Mercy’s efforts to continually improve quality and service have been recognized by the community. “While it is always nice to win awards, recognition from those we serve is especially meaningful. I commend our co-workers for the work they do to provide quality service to the citizens of Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma.”
NRC Chief Executive Officer, Michael D. Hays, said winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the company’s annual NRC Healthcare Market Guide study. “Consumers play an increasing role in selecting their healthcare facilities and services,” Hays said. “As more healthcare quality information is made publicly available, we expect this trend to increase. These organizations are selected for the Consumer Choice Awards by the community residents they serve. We are pleased to honor these facilities for their dedication to quality healthcare in the eyes of their patients.”
The 2007/08 Healthcare Market Guide is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive study of its kind. NRC asked more than 200,000 consumers which hospitals have the best overall quality and image.
Other regional winners include Washington Regional for the Fayetteville-Springdale market, Baptist Health Medical Center for the Little Rock market, and St. Francis Hospital for the Tulsa market.
