For the third year in a row, The Nebraska Medical Center has been named a Consumer Choice Award winner by people in the Midwest.
The National Research Corporation (NRC), an independent research firm based in Lincoln, interviewed people in more than 200,000 households to find out which hospitals offer the highest quality care.
The Nebraska Medical Center was one of only two Nebraska hospitals to receive the 2006 Consumer Choice Award.
“This award takes on extra meaning because it’s based on the feelings of people in our community, many of whom have received care here themselves,” said Glenn Fosdick, FACHE, president and CEO of The Nebraska Medical Center. “For three straight years now, families have recognized The Nebraska Medical Center as the best place for healthcare whether a loved one is here for a check-up or life-saving surgery.”
A patient recently sent a thank you note to hospital administrators thanking the medical staff for extraordinary care during a week-long stay at the hospital.
“There are those who open their hearts to others, who never think twice about giving of themselves, they are the wonderful, warmhearted people who make all the difference in our lives,” the patient wrote. “The nurses, doctors, and other staff who took care of me made a difference in my life.”
Another patient wrote, “Your ‘care with a smile’ approach is the best medicine for any patient. Thanks for looking out for me. You are the best!”
These sentiments are echoed by others who have written letters of gratitude and hundreds more who have answered questionnaires regarding their care experience.
Those questionnaires show the majority of hospital patients report having above satisfactory stays at The Nebraska Medical Center.
This is the fourth time in five years that The Nebraska Medical Center has earned the Consumer Choice Award.
Last year, The Nebraska Medical Center was the only hospital in Nebraska to earn the award.
The NRC surveyed 204,963 households by e-mail in the Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area between April and July of this year.
The respondents were questioned about the quality of care and image of hospitals in their metropolitan areas.
Their answers were weighted and tabulated to form the list of top hospitals.
The margin of error in the survey is + or – 0.2 percent.
“While awards are a nice acknowledgement of the good job we’re doing, our real reward is helping patients and their families get through difficult and challenging times in their lives,” Fosdick said.
Winners of the 2006/2007 Consumer Choice Awards can be found in the Sept. 25 issue of Modern Healthcare magazine.