Kansas City, MO -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/25/2010 -- This month, Health Grades gave Outstanding Patient Experience Awards to hospitals ranking in the top ten percent of the 3,775 hospitals surveyed by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, and a quick glance of Google will show you that the acclaimed hospitals are proud of what they’ve accomplished. Not only are they sending out press releases, but they’re garnering local news coverage.

“Pride in patient experience is escalating so quickly. Hospitals are realizing that they need refocus on what’s important, and what’s important is the patient,” notes Jonathan Whistman, consultant and partner and (e)Merge. “But hospitals are shifting their mindsets for another reason. In the past, patients had little voice when it came to healthcare. Now, the industry is so consumer-driven that hospitals must give the patient what they are looking for to stay competitive: an exceptional, personal experience coupled with top-notch care.”

Whistman and his partner, Jamie Verkamp, head up (e)Merge, a medical practice consulting firm specializing in providing innovative, patient-centric marketing initiatives and medical mystery shopping services that enhance patient experience to increase referrals. The firm has been touting the benefits of improved patient experience for years now.

“I’m amazed and really excited that the industry is starting to take notice as a whole of this very important concept,” Verkamp says with a smile. “The other day I came across a hospital that had created a series of commercials based on their Outstanding Patient Experience Award. It’s refreshing to see systems build their marketing around another part of healthcare the patient craves.”