National Research Corporation annually provides Consumer Choice Awards for the most-preferred hospitals in over 300 U.S. Markets. Winners, named in Modern Healthcare magazine, are selected from the nation's most comprehensive, nationwide consumer health care profile, the NRC Healthcare Market Guide. It's data represents consumer surveys from over 250,000 households in the U.S. Consumer Choice Awards for hospitals are based on consumer preference responses. This is the eleventh year NRC has awarded hospitals whose consumers have recognized them for providing quality healthcare services.

2009/2010 Consumer Choice Award - Quality and Image Profile

National Research Corporation (NRC) is pleased to publicly recognize the nation's top hospitals as 2009/2010 Consumer Choice Award winners. The award identifies those hospitals which healthcare consumers have chosen as having the highest quality and image in over 250 markets throughout the U.S. This is the fourteenth year NRC has awarded hospitals whose consumers have recognized them for providing quality healthcare services.

Ginny Martin, President of NRC's Ticker Division, said winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the company's Healthcare Market Guide Ticker study.  Of the 3,200 hospitals named by consumers in the study, the winning facilities rank highest in their Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs), as defined by the US Census Bureau.  The Ticker study surveyed over 250,000 households representing over 450,000 consumers in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia.

"Healthcare has become an increasingly important issue across the country and empowered consumers are making decisions for themselves and their families when selecting their healthcare facilities and services," Martin said.  "As care options multiply and financial challenges remain strong, consumer perception of quality continues to grow in importance.  Dedication to providing high quality healthcare has become essential for all hospitals.  In the face of adversity, these Consumer Choice award winners exemplify the dedication it takes to provide quality healthcare to their communities, and we are please to honor them through the eyes of their patients."

NRC's Healthcare Market Guide Ticker is the nation's largest and most comprehensive study of its kind. No other study used to measure hospital performance and consumer preferences contains more responses than NRC's study. The study has a margin of error of + or 0.2 percent at a national level. Co-winners are named when scores fall within the statistical margin of error for a given market.