Redwood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna has been named a national award winner in health care service quality for "Exemplary Service Overall Best Performer 2007" by Avatar International Inc., a healthcare research and consulting firm.

The award is based on the results of the hospital's 2007 patient surveys. It is awarded to those hospitals with the highest overall combined score for Inpatient, Outpatient, Emergency Department, and Ambulatory Surgery. The award is presented to the Top Twelve hospitals nationally that participated in Avatar's survey.

In making the announcement, Dr. Michael Everett, Avatar Founder and CEO said, "Redwood Memorial Hospital, as a top performer in Avatar's national database, is to be congratulated for its demonstrated excellence. Redwood Memorial Hospital's patients are fortunate that they can expect unrivaled service quality."

"It is a great honor to accept Avatar's patient satisfaction award for overall best performance for the second year in a row," said Joe Mark, CEO of St. Joseph Health System - Humboldt County. "We feel that our Journey into holistic, patient-centered care is helping us shape a positive experience for our patients and their families and we will continue to look for opportunities to create the most healing environment possible for our community."

Redwood Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed, full-service, acute-care, Critical Access Hospital in Humboldt County. In 2001 the hospital embarked on a journey into holistic, patient-centered care that forms the foundation for all programs, services and outreach offered to patients, families and the community. The hospital's philosophy, which is built on the values of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, is to minister to the whole patient - body, mind and spirit - realizing that every relationship has a profound effect on healing.

Caption: Joe Mark, left, CEO of St. Joseph Health System - Humboldt County, and Joe Rogers, COO of Redwood Memorial Hospital, pose with the Avatar award given to RMH for exemplary service.