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Affinity receives Best of Oshkosh 2008 Awards

11 / 03 / 2008

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OSHKOSH, Wis. – Readers of the Oshkosh Northwestern awarded Affinity Health System with three Best of Oshkosh 2008 Reader Poll awards for Best Community Hospital, Best Clinic and Best Pediatrician.

Bill Calhoun, president of Mercy Medical Center, accepted the Best Community Hospital award on behalf of the Mercy hospital staff.

“We are truly humbled to receive this award from the citizens of Oshkosh,” he said. “Being an active member of our community is very important to our hospital and serving its members is our greatest reward.”

Mercy Medical Center was also a finalist for the city’s Best Gift Shop.

The Affinity Medical Group clinics, located on Koeller Street, Jackson Street and Parkway Avenue, were the recipients of the Best Clinic award. Together, more than 30 providers access and treat patients at the three locations. Andrea Jeruzal, Director of Clinic Operations with Affinity Medical Group, believes collaboration and listening to patients needs are the roots to the clinics’ success.

“Patients deserve a health care team who works together to provide the highest quality of medical care,” states Jeruzal. “Our physicians and staff work diligently to form meaningful relationships with their patients and determine the best path for healthy well-being.”

In addition to Best Clinic, three Affinity Medical Group pediatricians, Dr. Laurie Muller, Dr. Susan Szabo and Dr. Barbara Strand, were ranked as the city’s top three providers for children.

“Our entire pediatric team loves working with kids and their passion for personalized care makes this award very special,” says Jeruzal.

More than 1,000 nominations were submitted to the Northwestern through newspaper and online polls. Participants selected “best of” organizations and individuals for more than 100 categories, including entertainment, dining and public services. Nominations were accepted from Aug. 31 to Sept. 30.    

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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a Catholic mission-oriented regional health care network, is a partnership of Ministry Health Care and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Affinity Health System is the Fox Valley’s third largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and is nationally listed among the top 50 hospitals for quality and efficiency (Thomson Reuters, Modern Healthcare). For eight consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI Health (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation – Affinity ranks no. 29 in the 2009 report. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent among hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It is ranked 31st in the nation, according to the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Community Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 22 family practice and specialty clinics – including two fully operational Medical Home models – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.