Consumers Give Kaiser Permanente Hospitals High Rankings.

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 12, 1998--Kaiser Foundation Hospitals have been named the overall "1998 Quality Leader" in six out of 11 metropolitan areas in California, based on results from a nationwide consumer survey conducted by the National Research Corporation (NRC).

The nationally conducted study mailed questionnaires to 250,000 households within the 48 contiguous states, with 170,000 returns. The survey asked the primary health care decision-maker in each household to name the hospital that he or she would choose first for all household health care needs. Other questions asked for the respondent's opinion of which hospital in their area they would choose first based on overall quality, physicians/nurses, image/reputation, community health programs, and personalized care.

Kaiser Foundation Hospitals were named "1998 Quality Leader" in the following metropolitan statistical areas: Riverside-San Bernardino (Fontana Hospital), San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (Santa Clara Hospital), Santa Rosa and Vallejo.

Kaiser Permanente's continued success is based on the strong partnership between Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals and the Permanente Medical Groups, as well as the commitment of its physicians and employees.

As Richard Barnaby, president of Kaiser Permanente's California Division, has said in response to surveys that name Kaiser Permanente a quality leader, "We are grateful for the confidence and trust our members have shown in us. We work hard to keep their trust by providing the kind of care and service that inspires loyalty. We think these survey results show that our members recognize Kaiser Permanente's commitment to delivering high-quality care and to making a positive difference in their health as well as the communities we serve."

NRC, based in Lincoln, Neb., is a national leader in the healthcare performance measurement industry. This year NRC named 115 hospitals in 93 markets as its 1998 Quality Leaders, the most-preferred hospitals by consumers in their market for overall healthcare services.

Kaiser Permanente, California, is a prepaid, group practice health maintenance organization (HMO) serving more than 5.5 million members throughout the state. More than 7,000 Permanente Medical Group physicians in both The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) in Northern California and the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG), as well as 55,300 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals employees, provide care to Health Plan members. There are 26 major medical centers organized into 12 service areas throughout California.