North Carolina Baptist Hospital has been named a 1999 Consumer Choice Award winner by National Research Corporation (NRC), an independent health care performance measurement organization.
"We always aspire to be the best and reflect excellence in all we do," said Len B. Preslar Jr., president and chief executive officer, Baptist Hospital. "Having those we serve affirm these efforts through this recognition is heartwarming."
NRC used mail surveys to determine what residents think about their local hospitals. Awards were based on scores for best doctors, best nurses, best image and best reputation. Individual winners are based on consumer response in individual metropolitan statistical areas (MSA), as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
"This is the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind," according to Michael Hays, president and chief executive officer of NRC. "It reflects the views of nearly 170,000 households. Surveys are conducted in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia and more than 100 market areas."
The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 0.2 percent at a national level.
This is the fourth year NRC has given awards to hospitals that consumers prefer in their individual markets. Consumer Choice Awards were given to 126 hospitals in 101 markets across the nation, including Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, Vanderbilt University Hospital, Nashville, Stanford University Hospital, San Francisco, and Duke University Medical Center, Durham.
The hospitals recognized by the NRC''s Consumer Choice Award were top-rated based on measures indicative of quality from a consumer''s perspective. The MSA surveyed that recognized Baptist Hospital included the counties of Alamance, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Stokes and Yadkin.
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Contact: Jim Steele or Mark Wright, (336) 716-4587.