For the fifth year in a row, The Nebraska Medical Center has been named a Consumer Choice Award winner by people in the Midwest. The award represents the voices of thousands of patients.

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 survey rankings also reflected respondents’ views on hospitals offering the best doctors, the best nurses and with the best image and reputation. The Nebraska Medical Center was one of only two Nebraska hospitals to receive the 2008 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 five 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 for a life-saving surgery.”

This is the seventh time in ten years that The Nebraska Medical Center has earned the Consumer Choice Award.

The NRC surveyed more than 200,000 households by e-mail between May 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.

“This award is just one indicator of how The Nebraska Medical Center is performing as a healthcare facility,” said Fosdick. “We will continue to do what is necessary to provide even higher quality care in 2009.”

Winners of the 2008 Consumer Choice Awards can be found in the Sept. 29th issue of Modern Healthcare magazine.