NORTH COAST, Calif. – Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital (HMH) has received national recognition in patient satisfaction with a 2013 Path to Excellence award.

HMH was recognized at the 19th Annual National Research Corporation’s International Patient-Centered Care Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland on Sunday, Sept. 22.

HMH was one of two hospitals, in its size category, to be recognized as “most improved.”

As a 2013 award recipient, HMH is among a select group of health care innovators leading the way on the path to patient-centered care.

“Howard Memorial Hospital already has great hospital rating scores,” said Chief Executive Officer Rick Bockmann. “This award is significant in that it recognizes that we’ve taken these great scores to a whole new level. Our journey to become a Planetree designated hospital has provided a framework to implement changes and make adjustments to improve our patient and family care.”

National Research selected Path to Excellence award recipients based on their achievement within categories that patients have identified as being most important to the quality of their care. The award is only earned by those organizations that are ranked by patients as being a top performer.

“National Research congratulates Howard Hospital for their outstanding achievements,” said Susan Henricks, president and chief operating officer of National Research. “We understand that driving improvement changes across an organization takes an incredible amount of resources and dedication – and Howard Hospital has done exactly that. They are committed to providing the best health care possible for their patients and families.”