Community Hospital of McCook has received four "National Excellence in Healthcare" awards and has been named a "4-Star" and "5-Star" Hospital by Professional Research Consultants Inc. (PRC) of Omaha.

Jim Ulrich, Community Hospital president and CEO, told hospital board members recently that he is exceptionally proud of a 4-Star Patient Perception Award for the hospital emergency department's overall quality of care.

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At PRC's 2008 Client Education Conference May 4-7 in Baltimore, Community Hospital received 4-Star awards in Employee Perception of Training/Education and of Executive Leadership, and a 5-Star award in Employee Perception of Total Compensation Package.

Community Hospital earned a 4-Star award in Patient Perception of the overall quality of care in the hospital's emergency department. Ulrich recognized the exceptional challenge it is to deliver health care that earns such remarkable ratings in the atmosphere of an emergency room. "This is a wonderful tribute to our medical and hospital staff. We're very proud of them all," Ulrich said.

Ulrich said this is the first time Community Hospital has been recognized by PRC for Employee Perception of its Executive Leadership. The hospital has been honored previously for Employee Perception of total compensation package and training/education and Patient Perception of the overall quality of care in the hospital's emergency department.

PRC conducts research in the above studies to obtain the opinions of patients and employees to assess their perceptions of hospital operations. Research findings are presented to hospitals for use in continuous improvement and enhancement of both patient and employee satisfaction.

Joe M. Inguanzo, president and CEO of PRC, said, "We are thrilled to present Community Hospital with these National Excellence in Healthcare awards. It was through their hard word, dedication and determination that they have made their facility a better place for the entire community. It speaks to their passion that Community Hospital is among the best of the best."

Inguanzo concluded, "In the past 30 years, we've never seen hospitals more determined to exceed customers' expectations than the hospitals we recognize this year."

PRC is in its 28th year of providing marketing research for hospitals across the United States. PRC is a nationally-known healthcare marketing research company headquartered in Omaha.

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In other action during the board of directors' meeting May 20:

In a quarterly report on infection control/employee health, Sharon Conroy RN reported that Community Hospital had no hospital-acquired infections in January and February and a .6 percent -- or six in 1,000 -- infection rate in March. That compares to a 7-8 percent infection rate nationally, said Community Hospital president and CEO Jim Ulrich.

"We're very proud of our low rate of hospital-acquired infections," Ulrich said. "We continue to do that well because we continually strive to do better."

Ulrich reported that Conroy made presentations on MRSA (methicillin resistant staph aureus) to a number of groups and organizations during the quarter. Community Hospital continues to take the lead, with support from local groups, in educating the public about health threats, Ulrich said.

Ulrich reported that the overall response of 132 students to the hospital's "Career Discovery Days" in March is that they "crave" hands-on experiences as they investigate careers in health care.

Ulrich cited the assistance of medical professionals and hospital and clinic personnel in making career days so successful.

The students indicated that career days raised their interest in health care fields and that they want more, Ulrich said. "We'll continue to offer Career Days, and improve it as best we can," he said.

Ulrich said Community Hospital of McCook celebrated national "EMS Week" May 18-24 by recognizing EMS (emergency medical services) crews from nine Southwest Nebraska communities and Good Samaritan Health Systems, Kearney, and the hospital's and clinic's medical professionals and staff.