Saint Francis Medical Center is again ranked among the nation's top 10 percent for patient satisfaction, according to HealthGrades^®, the nation's leading independent healthcare ratings organization. Saint Francis is the recipient of the HealthGrades 2009/2010 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ and is one of only 12 Missouri hospitals in the top 10 percent.

"Patient satisfaction is a top priority for Saint Francis," says Steven C. Bjelich, FACHE-D, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Francis. "We work very hard to ensure every patient is treated as an individual and with dignity and respect. To be recognized for a second straight year by the people we serve is truly an honor."

The designation is based on patient survey data collected as part of the federal government's Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or HCAHPS. The initiative gathers patients' responses related to their hospital stay, including pain management, cleanliness, noise levels, physician and nurse communication, medication information and post-discharge care instructions. Survey results from more than 3,000 hospitals nationwide were analyzed.

In the fall of 2008, Saint Francis also received the HealthGrades 2009 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ for being in the top 10 percent, when it was voluntary for hospitals to submit their patient satisfaction survey data. HealthGrades has chosen to release an updated 2009/2010 list, because it is now mandatory for hospitals to submit their patient satisfaction data, which increased the number of reporting hospitals and amount of data. HealthGrades plans to announce this award annually in June.