Baptist Medical Center Downtown Named 2005 Consumer Choice Award Winner
Baptist Health has been named  Most Preferred Healthcare Provider  by local consumers

Baptist Medical Center Downtown is pleased to announce it has been selected by the National Research Corporation (NRC) as a 2005 Consumer Choice Award winner for the Jacksonville community. The Consumer Choice Award identifies the hospitals in each market that health care consumers have chosen as having the highest quality and image. Winners are determined from the results of a nationally syndicated NRC Healthcare Market Guide study of more than 200,000 households in 180 markets throughout the United States.

In addition, Baptist Health has been named "Most Preferred Healthcare Provider" by local consumers in the NRC Healthcare Market Guide study since 1990.

"At Baptist Health, we have a 50-year tradition of providing comprehensive, high-quality health care to our patients," says A. Hugh Greene, president and CEO of Baptist Health. "We are grateful for the trust and confidence the community has in our organization as reflected in this award."

In 2005, respondents chose Baptist Health hospitals as the health care providers of choice in nine of 14 quality categories: "Best Overall Quality," "Best Doctors," "Best Nurses," "Most Personalized Care," "Best Image/Reputation," "Most Preferred for All Health Needs," "Hospital Web Site Used Most Often," "Best Accommodations/Amenities" and "Highest Patient Safety." As in past years, Baptist Health remained among the leaders in "Best Community Health Programs," "Latest Technology and Equipment," and "Widest Range of Services."

Additionally, Baptist Health was rated the highest for 16 out of 18 service categories: cancer treatment, heart care, home health care, hospital emergency room, hospital inpatient stay, imaging services, maternity/OB, mental health services, neurology, orthopedic treatment/surgery, outpatient testing/X-rays, outpatient/same-day surgery, pediatric services, physical therapy, plastic surgery, senior services and women's/GYN.

The NRC Healthcare Market Guide study is widely regarded as the nation's most comprehensive consumer assessment of the health care industry. No other study used to measure hospital performance and preferences contains more consumer responses. Respondents to the survey received an Internet questionnaire through e-mail invitations. The questions were presented in a clear and concise manner, in an easy-to-understand format. The Internet survey invitations began May 5, 2005, with 95 percent of returns completed by July 16, 2005.

"These organizations are selected for the Consumer Choice Awards by the community residents they serve," says Michael D. Hays, chief executive officer, NRC. "We are pleased to honor these facilities for their leadership in the delivery of quality health care."

The Consumer Choice Award reflects the growing role consumer choice is playing in the health care field. "As more health care quality information is made publicly available, we expect this trend to increase," says Hays.

Of the 3,000 hospitals named by consumers in the study, the winning facilities rank highest in their Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the 10th year NRC has honored hospitals whose consumers have recognized them for providing quality health care services.

Baptist Health has received numerous other consumer choice awards in the past. Baptist Health has been voted "Top Medical Center" in Jacksonville Magazine's annual Readers' Poll since the poll's inception in 1997. Folio Weekly readers have selected Baptist Medical Center Downtown as the "Best Hospital in Northeast Florida" for the magazine's "Best of Jax" issue every year since the reader poll began in 1991.

In 2005, Florida Medical Business readers chose Baptist Medical Center South for the "Golden Stethoscope Award" for "Best Use of Technology" in the "Hospital or Health System" category. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) named Baptist Medical Center a 2003 winner of the seventh annual Ernest A. Codman Award, which recognizes excellence in the use of outcomes measurement by health care organizations to achieve improvements in the quality and safety of health care.