For more information contact:
Mike Krysl, Marketing and Communications
(712) 279-2394
Ann Boeke, Marketing and Communications
(712) 279-2683

March 10, 2005

Mercy Medical is First Iowa Hospital to be Recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as Distinguished Hospital

Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City has been recognized for service excellence under the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital Program.SM The distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by Mercy to provide “An Outstanding Patient Experience.”

Mercy is the first hospital in Iowa, and among an elite group of just 29 hospitals in the nation to receive the prestigious honor from J.D. Power and Associates.

The service excellence distinction was determined by surveying a random sample of recently discharged patients from Mercy Medical Center on their perceptions of their hospital stay and comparing the results to the national benchmark established by the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 National Hospital Performance Study. SM

The telephone-based research conducted among Mercy patients focused on five key drivers of patient satisfaction with their overall hospital experience. These drivers, which were identified in the national study, include: dignity and respect; speed and efficiency; comfort; information and communication; and emotional support.

Mercy exceeded the national benchmark study score for overall patient satisfaction, performing especially well compared to the national study in providing care to patients with speed and efficiency. The hospital also received high marks from patients on nurses’ performance of their duties, as well as the speed and efficiency of personnel administering tests and treatment.

Mercy has performed well in providing comfort to patients during their hospital stay, largely in regard to the cleanliness of the room and the concern shown for patients’ continued recovery and well being after discharge, as compared to the national study.

Overall trust and confidence in the hospital is notably higher among Mercy Medical Center patients, when compared to the national average.

Mercy Medical Center President and CEO Peter Makowski said the hospital was proud and privileged to earn such high distinction from J.D. Power and Associates.

“This recognition for service excellence reflects Mercy’s commitment to provide world-class care – one patient at a time,” Makowski stated. “In recent years, Mercy has earned a number of national honors for the clinical excellence, overall quality of care, and patient safety. But this recognition from J.D. Power and Associates means the most to us because it comes from our patients.”

“Earning the distinction for service excellence is a tremendous reflection of Mercy’s commitment to providing compassionate care. It is an important part of our mission and culture, which is dedicated to Faith Inspired Service and Healing.”

“I express my heartfelt gratitude to each of our staff members, physician partners, volunteers and board members for their dedication to our caring culture. And, most importantly, I want to thank our patients for choosing us and for the vote of confidence they have given Mercy,” Makowski added.

J.D. Power and Associates’ recognition of Mercy as a Distinguished Hospital is just the latest in a string of national accolades for Mercy Medical Center—Sioux City.

Last July, Mercy was nationally recognized with the 2004 Distinguished Hospital Award for Excellence in Patient Safety. That award, conferred to just 88 U.S. hospitals, placed Mercy in the top 2% in the nation for patient safety.

Also last summer, Mercy was honored with the prestigious 2004 National Quality Health Care Award from the National Committee for Quality Health Care (NCQHC). Bestowed to just one U.S. healthcare provider each year, that award was recently presented to Trinity Health, the Novi, Michigan based healthcare network with which Mercy is affiliated.

In 2003, Mercy earned a national award for clinical excellence, an honor that placed the hospital in a select group of 163 U.S. hospitals considered at the pinnacle of quality performance across numerous clinical service lines.

More recently, Mercy was the first hospital in the region to earn national certification as a stroke center from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually.