In a private meeting in the White House Oval Office, Mercy president and CEO Javon R. Bea, Mercy chairman of the board Rollie McClellan, and Mercy vice president and lead Baldrige advisor Kathy Harris, received a proclamation from President George W. Bush.

“It was truly a honor and privilege to meet with President Bush on behalf of Mercy’s 4,000 employee and physician partners. It is because of their hard work and dedication to our patients, communities and organization that Mercy has transformed itself into a national leader in health care.”

In an afternoon ceremony in Washington, DC, United States Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez presented Mercy with the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award crystal trophy. Fifty Mercy partners attended the ceremony to accept on behalf of the entire organization. Live video feeds of the ceremony were broadcast to all 64 Mercy locations so all partners could take part in the excitement of receiving the award.

In his acceptance speech, Bea stated, “Quality is indeed a journey that requires commitment and going above the norm. We must never think we have reached the ultimate or have arrived. Every day, every month, every year, we can and should be getting better at what we do. We hope to inspire others to reach higher as they chart their own paths to excellence. This is the heart of the Baldrige journey.”

Rebroadcasts of the Baldrige ceremony can be viewed in the southern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois area by tuning into “I Want More” on Charter Cable On Demand, and Health And Wellness On Demand on Comcast.

Recognition for Mercy’s innovation, excellence and world-class performance include:
· Current overall mortality rates match the best practice benchmark based on the Care Science (a provider of care management, clinical analysis and clinical quality improvement solutions) adjusted rate for the top 15 percent of hospitals in the United States. Results for community acquired pneumonia mortality have decreased steadily since 2003, with current results at 1.2 percent—significantly below the benchmark of 4.0 percent.

· Other hospital organizations have been honored in past years, however, Mercy Health System is unique in that its entire vertically integrated health system is being recognized for organizational excellence. This means that all entities across the entire System–from its three hospitals, to its 300 employed physicians and their offices, to its homeless center, to its insurance company and all other entities–are receiving this recognition as a vertically integrated organization.

· Workforce satisfaction results demonstrate the commitment of Mercy to being a best place to work. Mercy received the 2007 American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) “Best Employers for Workers Over Age 50” award and was named one of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” by Working Mother magazine. In addition, Mercy was named one of the “100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces.”

· Mercy supports its key communities through its involvement and participation in community initiatives and collaborations. Mercy provides approximately 1.8 percent of its hospitals’ revenue and more than 2 percent of its clinics’ revenue to charity care. These results exceed the state General Medical Surgical Hospital and Hospital Best Practice Results. Additionally, Mercy budgets just under $500,000 monthly for self-pay discounts in support of patients unable to afford their needed health care. Other key Mercy community support services include the House of Mercy Homeless Center, a community clinic for the uninsured and underinsured and over 38,000 yearly screenings and community education programs.

Founded in 1895, Mercy Health System is a not-for-profit, vertically integrated multi-specialty health system that serves more than 1,000,000 people each year through its 64 facilities in 24 southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois communities. Mercy Health System’s three hospitals and multiple clinics, specialty centers of excellence and community outreach centers; MercyCare Insurance Company (insurance products); Mercy Assisted Care (post-acute, home care and retail services); and Mercy Harvard Hospital. Mercy employs over 4,000 employee partners and 300 W2 employed physician partners.

Throughout the world, the Baldrige criteria are acknowledged as the standard for performance excellence. Organizations striving for excellence measure their efforts in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. Baldrige winners demonstrate increased market share, greater customer satisfaction, improved employee relations and enhanced operating performance.

For more information, please visit MercyHealthSystem.org/Baldrige or call (608) 756-6627.