King’s Daughters Medical Center has been recognized for itsattentive patient care with an award that ranks it among some ofthe leading hospitals in the nation.

The Baptist Healing Trust ranked the hospital fifth on its 2008Top Ten Healing Hospitals in America, an annual study of non-profithospitals that awards those that display “exceptional attention toloving care.” The Baptist Healing Trust is a $100 million trustdedicated to advancing courteous, respectful and loving patientcare in medical facilities across the country.

Trust President and Chief Executive Officer Erie Chapman said asix-member panel investigating the hospitals and various governmentdata on their patient satisfaction rankings found that KDMC scoredmore than 90 percent on the Hospital Consumer Assessment ofHealthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. That qualityhelped land the Brookhaven hospital on the list just behind themassive Baylor Medical Center in Dallas.

“King’s Daughters scored exceptionally high in that area – oneof the highest scores we saw,” he said. “They’ve done anextraordinary job of creating a culture of loving care at KDMC, andthat’s what causes employees to go above and beyond the call ofduty.”

Other than KDMC’s list-leading score on HCAHPS, Chapman pointedout another quality that sets Brookhaven’s hospital apart – itssize. KDMC is the smallest facility in the top five, and secondsmallest in the top 10.

The No. 1 hospital on the list – Mercy Gilbert Medial Center inGilbert, Ariz. – is a 260-bed facility. The second-ranked St.Joseph of Orange Hospital in Orange, Calif., is a 525-bed facilitywith 3,800 employees, and third-ranking Griffin Hospital, of Derby,Conn., has 160 beds and 1,200 employees.

Baylor Medical Center leads the list with 1,000 beds and morethan 5,000 employees. Brookhaven’s hospital rounds out the top fivewith 122 beds and 327 employees.

But the HCAHPS score is the list’s great equalizer.

“It’s not a function of economics or how many MRI machinesthey’ve got, it’s a function of the attitude and the way care isdelivered,” Chapman said. “Anyone who has been to a typicalhospital knows how lousy the care is from a human standpoint.Sometimes, you go in with a pain in your side, and they’re not inthe least bit interested in that. They just want your name and tellyou to sit down. That’s not what we found at KDMC.”

KDMC Chief Executive Officer Alvin Hoover said compassionatecare has always been a focus at the hospital, and that making theTop Ten Healing Hospitals in America list was an affirmation ofthat focus. He said the hospital’s HCAHPS score was thesecond-highest in the nation.

“We want to make sure each person here feels like they’re theonly person we’re taking care of in our hospital,” he said.

Hoover said KDMC was able to make the list because the staff’swork instills confidence in the community.

“You want the people in your community to really believe in you,that they can have confidence in the care that’s delivered righthere at home,” he said. “You don’t have to travel out of town toget it. When you look at the list and see we’re compared rightalongside Baylor Medical Center, that’s pretty good company to bein.”