St. Louis, MO – McLeod Medical Center Dillon was named as a 2014 PRC 5-Star Patient Experience Top Performer in inpatient services for pain management during an awards celebration held today at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch. Healthcare leaders from across the United States gathered here to participate in the 2014 PRC Excellence in Healthcare Conference hosted by Professional Research Consultants, Inc. (PRC).

About the Recognition
PRC award winners are recognized annually for their achievements in improving patient experiences, healthcare employee engagement and/or physician alignment based on perceptions obtained through surveys.

"We are so proud of McLeod Medical Center Dillon and are thrilled to present them with this National Excellence in Healthcare Award," said Joe M. Inguanzo, Ph.D., President and CEO of Professional Research Consultants. "This award is proof that McLeod Medical Center Dillon is committed to improving healthcare. It takes years of dedication, determination and hard work to achieve this level of success. Congratulations to McLeod Medical Center Dillon and its staff for improving healthcare services throughout the Dillon, SC, area."

Marcia Wilds, Associate Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at McLeod Medical Center Dillon, commented, "Patients receiving care at our facility trust us to keep them comfortable as they recover and heal. Being recognized as part of this elite group by our patients speaks highly of our mission to deliver quality healthcare to patients each day," said Marcia. "I commend our employees and medical staff members for devoting their considerable skills and talents to the selfless service of others.

"We have designed our care plans using what we know from evidence-based best practices to be the gold standard. We constantly measure results and outcomes to determine the effectiveness of these care processes. By placing this level of focus on the best practices for pain management, we are able to consistently keep our patients comfortable during their hospital stay. McLeod Health continues to be the choice for medical excellence because of the intense focus we place on quality and patient safety," said Marcia.

Awards Criteria
To be a PRC 5-Star Patient Experience Top Performer winner, hospitals are judged against all other healthcare organizations in similar categories within PRC’s nationwide databases. PRC Top Performers must score at or above the 100th percentile within their particular comparison group, while 5-Star Award Winners are identified as the top 10 percent (at or above the 90th percentile) of PRC’s national client database. 4-Star Award winners are identified at the top 25 percent (between the 75th and 89th percentile). More specific awards criteria and information is available online at www.PRConline.com/awards

About PRC
Professional Research Consultants, Inc. (PRC) is a nationally-known healthcare market research company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. For more than 30 years, PRC has facilitated millions of interviews, delivered insightful reports, and provided customized research solutions to hospitals and healthcare organizations. In addition to being a certified vendor for government-mandated CAHPS surveys, PRC also provides research services that measure patient experience, physician engagement and employee engagement, as well as Community Health Needs Assessments. Learn more about PRC at www.PRConline.com

About McLeod Dillon
With a strong history in the Dillon community since 1943, McLeod Dillon has continued to grow and expand to serve residents of Dillon (SC), Marion (SC) and Robeson (NC) counties with excellence in patient care. The Joint Commission accredited medical center employs 350 and has the strength of 100 physicians on its medical staff. McLeod Dillon offers general and orthopedic surgery, women’s services, emergency services, intensive care, rehabilitative services and cardiac rehabilitation. Investments in state of the art technology to improve patient care have included Open MRI, CT, nuclear studies, digital mammography, 4D ultrasounds and vascular studies.