February 4, 2008

DES MOINES, Iowa – Mercy Medical Center—Des Moines has been selected as a recipient of a 2007 Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence Award. Mercy qualified for a bronze award, which will be presented at the Governor’s Recognition of Performance Excellence Celebration on

Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines.

Mercy is one of seven organizations across the state of Iowa to receive an award. This year’s honorees include one gold award winner, two silver award winners and four bronze winners. Nineteen companies participated in the 2007 IRPE application process.

"This award validates Mercy’s commitment to quality and process improvement,” said Mercy Vice President for Performance Improvement Dan Varnum. “Our ultimate goal is excellence, and our physicians, nurses and staff members strive to provide the highest quality health care available to our patients.”

The Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence (IRPE) program—established through a partnership between the Iowa Quality Center and the Iowa Business Council—recognizes Iowa businesses and organizations that have completed a review and evaluation of current processes to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. The IRPE process, also known as the Iowa Quality Award, utilizes the Baldrige National Quality Program Criteria for Performance Excellence (Baldrige Criteria).

For more information about the IRPE process, contact Gary Nesteby at the Iowa Quality Center, (319) 398-7101 or visit the IQC website at www.iowaqc.org.