Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark Medical Center Receive Consumer Choice Award for 13th Year in a Row
Appleton Medical Center and Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah earned top marks from consumers as the best hospitals in the Fox Cities-Oshkosh markets for the 13th year in a row.
Both ThedaCare hospitals received the 2014-15 Consumer Choice Award from National Research Corporation. The annual award, which is being announced in the Oct. 13 issue of Modern Healthcare magazine, identifies hospitals across the United States that healthcare consumers choose as having the highest quality and image. Winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the company’s Market Insights survey, the largest online consumer healthcare survey in the country.
“Patients are the ones who decide the Consumer Choice Awards and for them to tell us that we’re the best ones in the area is very gratifying,” said Brian Burmeister, senior vice president of ThedaCare Hospitals. “Our goal is to provide patients with the best quality of care at the best price and this recognition shows us we’re doing the right things. We could not do that without our great doctors, providers nurses and support staff. They are the reason we received this honor.”
AMC was the consumer’s top pick in the Fox Cities and Theda Clark was No. 1 in the Oshkosh market.
With many consumers now paying more for their medical care due to insurance and market changes, finding out what patients think has never been more important, said Brian Wynne, vice president of sales at National Research
“The complexity of healthcare has urged consumers to play much more of an integral role in their care decisions, which in turn, is prompting hospitals and healthcare systems to lead a proactive approach to brand awareness,” he said. “This year’s winners have done an exceptional job of representing their organizations in terms of high-quality care, improvement initiatives, and positive consumer perceptions and experiences.”
Consumer Choice Award winners like AMC and Theda Clark received the highest ratings from consumers in four areas:
- Overall quality
- Best doctors
- Best nurses
- Overall image and reputation
While Theda Clark and AMC received the honor, the Consumer Choice Award recognizes work done by all ThedaCare’s employees along with the independent physicians and their staffs who partner with the Appleton-based healthcare system, Burmeister said.
“What we do at the hospitals wouldn’t be possible without the support of our physician clinics and all of the specialists ThedaCare works with,” he said. “The great work done by all of ThedaCare’s more than 7,000 employees is crucial to our continuing success and delivering the right care at the right time and in the right place for our patients.”
Lincoln, Neb.-based National Research surveys more than 290,000 households in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia annually for the Consumer Choice Awards. Hospitals named by consumers are analyzed and ranked based on Core Based Statistical Areas defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, with winning facilities being ranked the highest. This is the 19th year that National Research has conducted its survey.
ThedaCare™ is a community health system consisting of seven hospitals: Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark Medical Center, ThedaCare Medical Center-New London, Shawano Medical Center, Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca, Berlin Memorial Hospital, and Wild Rose Community Memorial Hospital. ThedaCare also includes ThedaCare Physicians, ThedaCare Behavioral Health, and ThedaCare At Home. ThedaCare is one of the largest employers in Northeast Wisconsin with more than 6,175 employees; when CHN and Wild Rose employees join in January, it will be more than 7,000. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
