NRC Picker’s Patient-Centered Care Institute is dedicated to advancing the knowledge and practice of patient-centered care within the healthcare industry. Members have access to leading experts, advisors and original research in patient-centered care, as well as assessments and resources for creating a patient-focused environment.

The Board of Directors and staff of Picker Institute announce, with great sorrow, the death of Harvey Picker.

After months of work, CMS released its "Report to Congress: Plan to Implement a Medicare Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program."

National Research Corporation has again achieved the distinction of being listed as a top US research organization. The annual Honomichl 50 - an exclusive ranking of the top 50 US-based research organizations based on yearly revenues - has pegged National Research as #25 based on last years increased revenues.

NRC Picker recognizes that continuity of care is essential as a patient transitions to home. Inadequate transfer of information after hospital discharge has been associated with errors in care and contributes to a greater risk for a patients potential readmission to the hospital.

National Research Corp., Lincoln, Neb., purchased all the assets of the Governance Institute, a company focused on hospital and health system leadership. NRC, a publicly traded firm, specializes in healthcare performance measurement and improvement. Its chief operations officer, Jona Raasch, was named president of the Governance Institute, effective immediately. The Governance Institute has 436 members and reported revenue of $6.2 million in 2005. Officials said the institute's subscription-based business model, high renewal rates and low capital requirements made it an attractive acquisition, while NRC's expertise would bring added value to institute members.

Understanding how a patient perceives their medical care is crucial to improving the patient experience. Recent findings from the Joint Commission have proven that patients perceive medical errors in their care to cause dissatisfaction with their hospital stay. Findings show that patients categorize a broad array of problems as medical errors. For example, communication problems, responsiveness and falls are perceived as medical errors by patients based on a new study published in the January 2007 issue on the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.