HERSHEY, Pa. -- Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center has been named a Consumer Choice Award winner for Pennsylvania by National Research Corporation (NRC), an independent health care performance measurement company based in Lincoln, Neb. For the 13th consecutive year, the Medical Center earned the award for the Harrisburg market. This is the 16th year NRC has awarded hospitals whose consumers have recognized them for providing the highest quality health care.
NRC publicly announced its 2011-12 Consumer Choice Award winners in the Oct. 18 issue of Modern Healthcare magazine. In compiling the annual Ticker study (formerly the Healthcare Market Guide) for 2011, the firm surveyed more than 250,000 households inquiring which hospitals have the best overall quality and image. Penn State Hershey Medical Center is among only 14 hospitals in Pennsylvania to receive NRC honors this year.
“We are honored to be recognized once again as the region's top choice for health care,” said Harold L. Paz, Medical Center chief executive officer, Penn State’s senior vice president for health affairs, and dean, Penn State College of Medicine. “Our patients know that they can count on Penn State Hershey Medical Center for the most advanced medical care available, provided by exceptional physicians and staff dedicated to improving the health of the people and communities we serve.”
According to NRC, the Ticker study is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive study of its kind. No other study used to measure hospital performance and preferences contains more consumer responses than NRC’s study.
Founded in 1981, National Research Corporation is based on a mission of providing the most actionable, up-to-date market information to health care organizations. According to NRC, the corporation has conducted more performance studies for health care organizations than any other firm in the country.