WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Oct. 3, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- A just-released annual survey of patients by a leading statewide collaborative of health plans and medical groups has rated the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) the highest in patient satisfaction of any health care provider in Southern California, and one of only three top-ranking medical groups statewide. The 2005 California Consumer Assessment Survey ranked patients' evaluations of overall quality of care, access, communications and personnel, conducted through interviews and comments from 51,407 patients in 159 medical groups across the state.
The MPTF, based in Woodland Hills, California, provides a continuum of health care for members of the entertainment industry. It offers a wide range of medical and surgical services, child care, residential living and health care for older adults, as well as various social and charitable services.
Dr. David Tillman, president and chief executive officer of the MPTF, stated, "It is enormously gratifying for every person working at the Fund -- whether at our hospital, health centers or anywhere throughout our system -- to have their dedication and compassion validated by the patients they serve on a daily basis. As the industry's charity, this remarkable organization has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the highest quality of care, consistent with its mission of `taking care of our own' for nearly 85 years."
He noted that the survey solicited patients' ratings of overall care received from all doctors and health providers, as well as their personal doctors and nurses, specialists most often seen, timely care and service, getting treatment and specialty care, communication with patients, counseling on preventative methods, and coordination of care.
"Our physician group and nursing staff have always prided themselves on providing an extraordinary level of care and service, but the endorsement of the very people we're serving, particularly in relation to other larger health care providers, is even more rewarding," Tillman added.
This fifth annual survey was supported by ten health plans, representing 85 percent of the participants in the state. These plans included Aetna Health of California, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, CIGNA HealthCare, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente (Northern and Southern California), PacifiCare, Universal Care, and Western Health Advantage.
The survey was conducted under the auspices of the California Cooperative Healthcare Reporting Initiative (CCHRI), a program managed by the Pacific Business Group on Health, representing California's largest employers. Among CCHRI's objectives is to promote the use of accurate and standardized quality measures of performance within health care and to serve as a forum for quality improvement initiatives in the field.
The non-profit Motion Picture & Television Fund, headquartered in Woodland Hills, California, was founded in 1921 initially to provide "relief" for those in the film industry who had fallen on hard times. Today, 84 years later, MPTF is a major service provider supporting the health and well being of the entertainment community. Health care, childcare, retirement living, and social/charitable services are offered with compassion and respect for the dignity of the whole person. Care is offered through the MPTF fully-licensed 250-bed hospital, five outpatient health centers, charitable financial assistance and community outreach programs, a full-scale retirement community and a children’s day care center. For more information, visit www.mptvfund.org