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St. John's Mercy Hospital in Washington, Mo., is the 2005 Primaris Hospital Quality Award winner. (Photo courtesy St. John's Mercy Hospital) Serving five mostly-rural counties, St. John's Mercy consistently stayed among the top performers in the state on patient care measures throughout 2005, maintaining superior performance. "St. John's Mercy Hospital 's dedication to quality health care has resulted in excellent performance," said Richard A. Royer, CEO, Primaris. "They continuously strive to find new ways to become even better." Royer said the hospital has long worked on a variety of quality improvement programs, actively participating in statewide collaboratives. Past projects have included efforts to prevent surgical infections and work to improve diabetes care. Primaris also cited the hospital's commitment to demonstrating its value to the community through public reporting. Currently, St. John's Mercy Hospital publicly reports every measure suggested by the national Hospital Quality Alliance, a collaboration to improve hospital quality. The annual Primaris Hospital Quality Award is given to one hospital in honor of high performance and a commitment to improving services, particularly in clinical areas designated important by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ( CMS ). "When we received the call that we would be given this statewide recognition, I was elated," said Michael E. Zilm, president, St. John's Mercy Hospital . " St. John's Mercy and Primaris have had a long relationship working to keep our hospital on the front edge of quality health care. This award is a tribute to our physicians, nurses, co-workers and volunteers and the excellent teamwork we have throughout the hospital." St. John's Mercy Hospital , a member of the Sisters of Mercy Health System, is an acute care hospital offering comprehensive medical, surgical, obstetric and pediatric services. As the only Level III trauma center between St. Louis and Jefferson City , St. John's Mercy Hospital offers an experienced medical staff that is specially trained in trauma care. Located just 50 miles southwest of St. Louis , St. John's Mercy Hospital serves more than 150,000 residents in five counties. Primaris is a Columbia-based health care consulting firm dedicated to improving health care delivery and outcomes. The firm holds the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) contract for the state of Missouri and provides health insurance counseling to seniors through the CLAIM Program.