Mckenzie-willamette Medical Center Receives Outstanding Achievement Awards

Springfield, OR. McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, along with Maurine Cate, Chief Executive Officer, and Jason McLaughlin, Chief Financial Officer, have been honored with Outstanding Achievement Awards from Community Health Systems, one of the nation's leading systems of general acute-care hospitals. The organization includes McKenzie-Willamette and more than 130 other hospitals in 29 states. The Outstanding Achievement Awards recognize hospitals and hospital leaders who have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to quality healthcare and operational excellence.

McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center was recognized with the Outstanding Overall Patient Satisfaction Award. The Outstanding Overall Patient Satisfaction Awards recognize top-performing hospitals whose patients report an excellent hospital experience on the HCAHPS patient perception of care survey conducted by the Medicare program. HCAHPS survey results are publicly reported on hospitalcompare.hhs.gov.

"I work with an amazing group of people who care deeply about this hospital and our patients. This award reflects positively on our entire team and our shared commitment to provide quality, compassionate healthcare for our community," says Maurine Cate of receiving the outstanding achievement award. Maurine Cate was named McKenzie-Willamette's Chief Executive Officer in 2007. During her tenure she has achieved improvements in key areas, including quality, and patient satisfaction, and has introduced new and expanded services, which include: a new physician-led wound program which opened in 2009, The Advanced Wound Healing Center; a collaboration with local cardiologists, Heart Associates of Oregon in 2009, and expansion of the Heart Surgery program with an affiliation between the hospital and the regionally recognized Starr-Wood Cardiothoracic Group in 2010. Cate says her success would not be possible without the support of the hospital's Board of Trustees, medical staff and dedicated employees.

Jason McLaughlin, Chief Financial Officer joined McKenzie-Willamette in 2009. McLaughlin has improved the financial health of the hospital by implementing operational efficiencies. McLaughlin says of his award, "I share this honor with the staff at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center. Together, we are committed to the health and well being of our patients, and I am proud to be part of a team that demonstrates this commitment daily through their attitudes and actions."