Region's Consumers Rank Sacred Heart Best in Quality; Hospital Wins National Consumer Choice Award

Pensacola area residents have again ranked Sacred Heart Health System as the best hospital in the region for overall quality.

Consumers who responded to a recent independent survey named Sacred Heart as the clear No. 1 choice for having the best quality, best nurses, best doctors and best reputation. Based on the results of its survey in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, National Research Corporation has named Sacred Heart as winner of NRC's Consumer Choice Award for the Pensacola area.

NRC announced this year's awards in a recent issue of Modern Healthcare magazine. The Consumer Choice Award is given annually to the top hospitals in 150 cities across the United States. In addition to being top-ranked in the NRC's Pensacola area survey for seven consecutive years, Sacred Heart also has grown to become the most preferred hospital in Northwest Florida for services ranging from heart surgery and orthopedics to maternity services and home health care.

The NRC survey is valuable to consumers and employers because it provides an unbiased, statistically accurate source of information on how hospitals are rated within the communities they serve.

"Consumers continue to play an increasing role in their selection of hospitals and in the care they receive," said Michael Hays, NRC president and CEO. "With the industry's focus on quality, we are pleased to recognize the facilities named as leaders by those their serve. The winners deserve recognition for the emphasis they have placed on providing quality care."

The NRC survey for the Escambia-Santa Rosa market was based on written responses received from 376 households. Sacred Heart was rated as having the best reputation, best doctors and best technology by a 2-1 margin over its nearest competitors. Consumers also ranked the hospital #1 by a wide margin for:

• Best Nurses
• Best Quality
• Most Personalized Care
• Most Preferred Hospital
• Most Preferred Heart Services
• Most Preferred Women's Services
• Best Children's Services

"We are deeply gratified that individuals and families have continued to put their trust in the nurses and doctors at Sacred Heart Hospital," said Patrick J. Madden, Sacred Heart's president and CEO. "We have been able to make major investments in new technology and new facilities at Sacred Heart over the past 10 years, and this has helped to attract excellent dedicated physicians and staff to our hospital. Consumers in this area recognize the emphasis we have placed on quality health care."

NRC is the first and largest company dedicated to independent and accurate reporting on the quality of health care providers in local communities. NRC's national consumer study - created seven years ago -- is the nation's largest and most comprehensive of its kind, with 140,000 households surveyed nationwide. In Mobile, the top rated hospital is Providence Hospital, which like Sacred Heart is a member of the Ascension Health system of hospitals.

Sacred Heart Health System has expanded to include its main hospital in Pensacola, the Children's and Women's Hospital, Regional Heart and Vascular Institute, an Emergency/Trauma Center, a regional home care agency and a new 120-bed nursing home. Sacred Heart also is building a new hospital in Walton County east of Destin and plans to build a new diagnostic and surgical center in Pace. For more information on Sacred Heart Health System, call (850) 416-1600. Winners of the NRC Consumer Choice Awards around the country can be found at www.nationalresearch.com.