Press release

Asheville, N.C. (Jan. 21, 2013) – Mission Health has received its eighth consecutive Consumer Choice Award from National Research Corporation, a firm that specializes in healthcare performance measurement and improvement.

The award recognizes hospitals that healthcare consumers selected as having the highest quality and image in more than 300 markets across the country.

“Mission Health’s top priority is delivering the highest quality of care,” said Ronald A. Paulus, MD, President and CEO of Mission Health. “Our consistently high ranking by the communities we serve is a testament to our commitment to providing an exceptional experience for patients and their families.”

Winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image issues, and the ratings are collected in National Research’s Market Insights survey. This study surveys more than 250,000 households representing more than 450,000 consumers in the contiguous 48 United States and the District of Columbia. According to National Research, its Market Insights survey is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive study that measures hospital performance and consumer preferences.

About Mission Health
Mission Health, based in Asheville, N.C., is the state’s sixth-largest health system and the region’s only not-for-profit, independent community hospital system governed and managed exclusively in western North Carolina. In 2012 Mission Health was named one of the nation’s Top 15 Health Systems by Thomson Reuters – the only health system in North Carolina to receive this recognition.

Mission Health, which traces its roots in the region back to 1885, operates five hospitals, numerous outpatient and surgery centers, and the region’s only dedicated Level II trauma center. Its medical staff consists of more than 1,000 physicians and is certified in over 50 medical specialties and sub-specialties. Mission Health has seven Centers of Excellence: Cancer, Heart, Mission Children’s Hospital, Neurosciences, Orthopedics, Trauma and Women’s Health. Mission Hospital, located in Asheville, is the system’s flagship hospital and is licensed for 730 beds. It is the regional referral center for tertiary and quaternary care and is the busiest surgical hospital in North Carolina. It also includes Mission Children’s Hospital– the region’s only children’s hospital. Other Mission Health member hospitals include Angel Medical Center in Franklin, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, McDowell Hospital in Marion and Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard. With approximately 8,800 employees and 700 volunteers, Mission Health is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of the people of western North Carolina. For more information, please visit mission-health.org.