FY08 Mercy Annual Report

Message to Our Community

Helping very sick or injured patients recover, providing hope to those who thought all was lost, celebrating the joy and wonder of new life, offering support to families as they prepare to say goodbye – these are the things we do every day at Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines. Pairing the skill and compassion of our caregivers with the most current evidence-based medicine and modern healing environments, Mercy is able to positively affect hundreds of thousands of lives each year.

Because we impact so many people in so many important ways, we believe it is crucial to measure, analyze and report our performance – not just financial performance, but performance in a large number of important areas, such as clinical quality, service and timeliness. This data provides us with valuable insights into the patient experience and the results of the care we provide, and will guide us as we make quality improvements throughout our organization – from patient satisfaction to medication safety.

In hundreds of ways, we have asked, and continue to ask, key questions: Did the patient get better? Did we meet or exceed safety standards and expectations? Did we prevent every possible infection? How did we perform against national benchmarks? Was the patient satisfied with his or her care? In other words, we pay close attention to every aspect of patient care. It is an ongoing pursuit that never ends. As soon as we realize success in one measure, we aim for others. This has earned Mercy a reputation for high quality health care on local, regional and national levels, as evidenced by the honors, awards and accreditations Mercy continues to receive.

In fiscal year 2008, Mercy became the first hospital in central Iowa to be certified as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission and earn its Gold Seal of Approval™ for health care quality and safety. It was also listed among the nation’s best cardiovascular teaching hospitals on the 2007 Thomson 100 Top Hospitals® report and was selected as one of only 50 hospitals in the country – and the only one in Iowa – to be visited by experts from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) during its 5 Million Lives Campaign. In addition, Mercy was named as one of the nation’s top hospitals for the ninth consecutive year by the National Research Corporation. The prestigious 2007/08 Consumer Choice Award was presented to hospitals across the United States that local consumers voted the best in terms of overall quality and image.

Through this pursuit of quality, Mercy continues to carry out the ministry of the Sisters of Mercy and provide the best health care available to every patient and family who comes to us in need. By continuously raising the bar, Mercy succeeds not only in providing the highest quality medical services to the central Iowa community, but also in fulfilling its mission and bringing reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence to health care.

The personal experience of patients and their loved ones can never be fully measured, but individuals and families often tell us about the profound impact our quality care has had on them. Listening to these stories and reading these letters reveals a measure of passion our patients and their families feel for Mercy – a passion we share with them and are proud to share with you in our 2008 annual report.

Respectfully,

David H. Vellinga

President & CEO

Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines

Steve Chapman

Chair, Board of Directors

Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines