National Research Corporation annually grants the Consumer Choice Award to the most preferred hospitals in more than 100 U.S. markets. Winners, named in Modern Healthcare magazine, are selected from the nation's most comprehensive, nationwide consumer health care profile, the NRC Healthcare Market Guide survey. Data found in the survey represents responses from nearly 170,000 households representing more than 400,000 consumers in the U.S.

"MCG Hospitals and Clinics have achieved significant improvement over the past 14 months. We've improved in clinical quality and customer service. It is gratifying that our achievements have been noted by those who mean the most to us - health care consumers in the CSRA," said MCG Health, Inc. President and CEO Don Snell.

According to NRC President and CEO Michael Hays, there is a growing trend in the roles consumers play in selecting their hospitals and the quality of care they receive, particularly as more and more information is available to consumers. "So we are pleased to recognize those hospitals singled out as leaders by those they serve. The winners deserve recognition for the emphasis they have placed on providing quality care and meeting consumers' needs."

The 2001 Healthcare Market Guide is the nation's largest and most comprehensive study of its kind. No other study used to rate hospitals contains more consumer responses. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 0.2 percent at a national level.

MCG HealthCare is the health system of the Medical College of Georgia and is comprised of MCG Health, Inc. and the clinical services offered by the faculty of the School of Medicine and the members of the Physicians Practice Group. MCG Health, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCG Hospitals and Clinics, Children's Medical Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center and related clinical facilities and services. MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by offering the highest level of primary and specialty health care.