J.D. Power and Associates Reports:
St. Mary’s Hospital Recognized for Providing Outstanding Inpatient Experience

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 16 November 2010 — St. Mary’s Hospital, located in Centralia, Ill., has been recognized for service excellence under the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital Program.^SM This distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by St. Mary’s Hospital to provide “An Outstanding Inpatient Experience.”

“In achieving certification, St. Mary’s Hospital has demonstrated the ability and commitment to deliver a high-quality experience, according to patients admitted to the hospital,” said John Clark, director of provider programs at J.D. Power and Associates. “Patients are particularly pleased with the level of dignity and respect afforded, along with emotional support. This speaks to the leadership, the inpatient staff and St. Mary’s unique, compassionate culture. As a team, the employees at St. Mary’s have clearly demonstrated a gift for integrating people, process and technology to create an outstanding patient experience.”

The service excellence distinction was determined by surveying recently discharged patients about their perceptions of their hospital visit and comparing the results to the national benchmarks established in the annual J.D. Power and Associates National Hospital Service Performance Study.^SM

The telephone-based research conducted among St. Mary’s Hospital patients focuses on the five key drivers of patient satisfaction with their overall inpatient experience. These drivers, which were identified in the national study, are speed and efficiency; dignity and respect; comfort; information and communication; and emotional support.

St. Mary’s Hospital exceeds the national benchmark study score for inpatient satisfaction and performs particularly well, compared with the national study, in providing patients with dignity and respect. The hospital receives particularly high ratings for the courtesy of nurses and discharge personnel.

The hospital also performs well in providing patients with emotional support, particularly for the treatment of family and friends and compassion for serious impact of health problems.

Seventy-two percent of St. Mary’s Hospital patients surveyed say they would likely return to the facility if needed, while 66 percent say they would recommend the facility to friends and family.

“I am very proud of the St. Mary’s team, including our physicians, employees, and volunteers,” said Bruce Merrell, president of St. Mary’s Hospital.

Nongovernmental, acute-care hospitals throughout the nation are eligible for the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital recognition for inpatient, maternity, cardiovascular, emergency and outpatient services. Distinction is valid for one year, after which time the hospital may reapply for this recognition.

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction. The company’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a global information and education company providing knowledge, insights and analysis in the financial, education and business information sectors through leading brands including Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts, and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2009 were $5.95 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.