Consumer Reports ranks five affiliates of National Surgical Hospitals as "best in state"

National Surgical Hospitals today announced that five of its specialty hospitals achieved the highest rankings among all hospitals in their respective states in the Consumer Reports' Patient Experience of Care Ratings that were published on August 3, 2009.

These highly ranked hospitals are: OakLeaf Surgical Hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin; South Texas Spine and Surgical Hospital in San Antonio, Texas; North Carolina Specialty Hospital in Durham, North Carolina; Northwest Specialty Hospital in Post Falls, Idaho; and Cache Valley Specialty Hospital in North Logan, Utah.

The ratings are based on data collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as part of its Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems data collection effort to assess consumers' opinions of hospitals and healthcare systems. The Consumer Reports' patient ratings covered 3,415 hospitals nationwide and are based on eight separate measures, including those that reflect communications with doctors and nurses, staff attentiveness, room cleanliness, and discharge instructions. Additionally, the overall rating for each hospital included a score for two general questions about the hospital experience.

The highest ranking hospital in the national survey, with a score of 98.5 out of a possible 100, was OakLeaf Surgical Hospital. This score was more than 10 points ahead of the next highest ranked hospital in Wisconsin. Commenting on the news, John Drawbert, board chairman of the hospital and active orthopedic surgeon in Eau Claire, said, "We take great pride in the level of service we provide at OakLeaf Surgical Hospital, and its industry-leading ranking is a direct result of the outstanding work and professional dedication demonstrated by our dedicated employees and physicians every day. To be recognized by such a well-respected organization reaffirms our belief that physician-owned hospitals provide a superior experience for patients and physicians, which is what we should be trying to achieve with national healthcare reform."

North Carolina Specialty Hospital was ranked the highest in the state with a score of 91.5 – 15 points higher than the next highest ranked hospital in the state. Dr. Richard Bruch, a board member and active member of the medical staff at the North Carolina Specialty Hospital, said, "With the caliber of hospitals we have in the state of North Carolina, it is gratifying to be ranked so far ahead of all others in terms of the level of service and satisfaction we provide, and it is a testament to the dedication of the staff here."

Commenting on the survey results, John Rex-Waller, CEO of National Surgical Hospitals, the Chicago-based parent of the hospitals, said, "We are extremely proud of the service that all of our affiliated hospitals provide to patients and physicians. Our model of small, closely focused specialty hospitals, based on a partnership with physicians that reinforces the exceptionally high level of customer satisfaction, now has been recognized by Consumer Reports. Contrary to what some in the national healthcare debate maintain, it is interesting to note that so many physician-owned hospitals scored very highly in the Consumer Reports' rankings. This underscores the deep care and concern physicians have for their patients, which, linked with their ownership, drives the exceptional service that results in rankings that far outshine most general acute-care hospitals. It also shows that the real question in healthcare reform should center on how to provide better care, not just more care, a philosophy that strongly shapes our mission as a company and the interests of our physician partners."

The full results of the survey are available at www.consumerreportshealth.org.

National Surgical Hospitals, the innovative healthcare partner that empowers physicians to thrive in a changing marketplace, has 15 hospital and nine surgery centers in its network. NSH has operational surgical hospitals located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Aside from its focus on surgical hospitals, NSH has operational orthopedic-focused surgery centers located in Arizona, California, Michigan, and Texas. NSH has a strong pipeline of additional opportunities under consideration.

For information about NSH and how it is pioneering a better way to deliver surgical care, visit the Company's website at www.nshinc.com.