Crittenden Regional Hospital Ranked As One of the Top Facilities in Memphis Area

July 17, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Crittenden Regional Hospital has been ranked as one of the top three hospitals in the Memphis Metropolitan Area and one of the "100 Best Kept Secrets" by the Data Advantage Hospital Value Index.

The Data Advantage Hospital Value Index is a new comprehensive index to measure the relative value of care that hospitals provide to patients. The Best-Kept Secrets names hospitals that offer high quality value but may not be as well known as other hospitals in their area as determined by National Research Corporation's Healthcare Market Guide.

"We are extremely proud to be included among the '100 Best Kept Secrets' and in this first scorecard ranking of U.S. hospitals as one of the top three healthcare facilities in the Memphis Metropolitan Area," said Jamie Carter, Chief Executive Officer, Crittenden Regional Hospital.

"Our medical staff and employees should all be extremely proud of this recognition of the work they do each day providing excellent patient-centered care to the citizens in our region."

The Hospital Value Index analyzed more than 1,500 general acute-care hospitals in America's 100 largest cities, serving approximately 180 million consumers. It defines a hospital's "value" by its success in four critical areas:

--Quality of its care, including core processes and patient safety;
--Efficiency of its care and affordability, including the prices it charges;
--Experience encountered by its patients as measured by patient satisfaction; and
--Comprehensive reputation of a hospital as measured by local public perception.

The study was developed by Data Advantage, LLC (www.data-advantage.com) as a resource for healthcare consumers to compare the value of hospitals, according to Hal Andrews, CEO at Data Advantage, which developed the scorecard.

"Where the quality of care between hospitals is relatively equal, the Hospital Value Index will identify the hospital that is more affordable," said Andrews. "Where the price between hospitals is the same, the Hospital Value Index will reveal the one with better quality."

The Hospital Value Index was also developed in anticipation of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Value-Based Purchasing initiative, which proposes to financially reward a hospital based on the value of its care beginning next year. It also recognizes the growing influence of consumers shopping for the best hospital values in their communities.

Hospitals included in the Hospital Value Index Study in the Memphis Metropolitan Area included:

Alliance Healthcare System; Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville; Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto; Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis; Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton; Crittenden Regional Hospital; Delta Medical Center; Methodist Fayette Hospital; Methodist University Hospital; North Oak Regional Medical Center; Regional Medical Center at Memphis; St. Francis Hospital; and St. Francis Hospital-Bartlett.

Data Advantage, LLC is a healthcare information company that specializes in providing the healthcare and business communities with independent and objective information resources for improved business intelligence. Since 1992, more than 1,000 hospitals and other businesses have looked to Data Advantage for information solutions.