The public is invited to attend the Mercy Health System Association of Volunteers’ 25th annual Love Light Tree Lighting Ceremony. New this year, two trees will shine in honor, gratitude or memory of loved ones.

The ceremony will be held Monday, December 6, 5:30 pm, in the Healing Garden in front of Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center. Parker High School’s vocal jazz group, 7th Heaven, conducted by Mr. Brian Knutson, will be performing at the ceremony. A reception will follow in the hospital lobby. The second tree will shine at the same time in Mercy Wedge Park, adjacent to the Mercy Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center, 557 N. Washington St.

To make this a neighborhood event, the Association has invited area businesses to join our December 6 tree lighting celebration and offer special hours and/or sales:
•    Tallman House and Museum will be open 5-7 pm for tours
•    Janesville Floral will be open until 6:30 pm
•    Cinnamon Stick Gift Shoppe is offering a 20% discount on gift items till 8 pm
•    Wisconsin Wagon Company will be open until 6:30 pm and Santa will be making a special visit for picture-taking opportunities
•    Mercy Hospital Janesville Gift Shop will be offering a 50% discount on one Christmas item and 40% off additional Christmas items 5:30-7:30 pm

A donation of $3 or more illuminates one light. Individuals donating $30-99 will be listed in the newspaper as Patrons. New this year, those donating $100 or more will be listed as Angel Patrons. The name of each person remembered, honored or thanked will appear once in the Janesville Gazette. Donations must be received by December 1 to ensure publication in the Gazette.

Donations to the Love Light Tree go directly to Mercy Lifeline personal emergency response system, Wigs for Patients, Meals On Wheels and Hospitality House—four Mercy Health System Association of Volunteers community service projects that serve more people every year.

The Love Light Tree Committee is chaired by Elaine Lawrence, and includes Karen Fuhrmann, Kathy Schendt, Pat Forrestal, Evelyn Morgan, Marilyn Bitter, Corinne Carey and Pat Nehls.

In the event of inclement weather, the tree lighting will be canceled, but the reception will be held.

Donation cards can be picked up at the Mercy Hospital Gift Shop, or mailed by calling (608) 756-6784.

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Mercy Health System has launched a new look for its blog focusing on keeping our community informed and updated on what’s new at Mercy. Edited by MDs, PhDs and communications specialists, the blog aims to provide a strong connection to our patients by offering a means to interact and create a platform for two-way conversation. It’s also an opportunity to gather regular information relevant to the health care industry, tell patient stories and educate you on issues, topics or highlights within the health care industry.

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Listen to Dr. Keith Konkol, infectious disease physician, as he discusses the signs and symptoms and who is most at risk. For more information, visit http://www.mercyhealthsystem.org/flu

Jason Cundiff, MD, FACS, Board Certified Otolaryngologist (ENT) discusses procedures such as tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies. To learn more about Dr. Cundiff, please visit http://goo.gl/PTRE.

Bridget, a Mercy Health System patient, shares here story about the care she received at the new Birthing Center located at Mercy Hospital Janesville. For more information, visit http://www.mercyhealthsystem.org.

Zhiquan Zhao, MD, part of the OB/GYN team at Mercy Health System, talks about the Obstetrics and Gynecology program, his relationship to his patients, and why he continues to practice medicine at Mercy Hospital in Janesville. For more information, visit http://www.mercyhealthsystem.org.

Betsy, a Mercy Health System patient, shares here story about the care she received at the new Birthing Center located at Mercy Hospital Janesville. For more information, visit http://www.mercyhealthsystem.org.

Joseph Fairbanks, a psychotherapist at Mercy Health System, talks about how a child’s behavior can be affected by divorce. For more information on this topic as well as many others, visit http://www.mercyhealthsystem.org.

Ranjana Soorya, MD, Board Certified Internal Medicine at Mercy Health System offers an intoduction to her medical practice. To learn more about Dr. Soorya, please visit http://goo.gl/v1ls.

Mercy Health System has been named one of the top hospitals in the nation by the National Research Corporation (NRC)—the nation’s leading consumer health care surveyor. As a Consumer Choice Award winner, Mercy is listed as one of the hospitals most preferred by patients in last week’s Modern Healthcare magazine.

“We are honored to be named one of Wisconsin’s top hospitals by the country’s largest and most comprehensive study of its kind,” said Barbra Bortner, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at Mercy Health System. “We’ve worked tirelessly over the past several years to expand services, develop programs, and improve technology that best serves the health care needs of our community. Through this award, it is apparent that we are succeeding.”

The 2010/2011 NRC Ticker Study surveyed nearly 250,000 households nationwide, asking consumers to answer several questions about health care in their community. The study looked at everything from overall quality to the level of care given by nurses and doctors.

“Consumers play an increasing role in selecting their health care facilities and services,” said Michael Hays, CEO of NRC. “Health care organizations are selected for the Consumer Choice Award by the community residents they serve. We are pleased to honor them for their dedication to quality health care in the eyes of their patients.”

Winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the annual NRC Ticker Study. Of the hospitals named by consumers in the study, the winning facilities rank highest in their Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2010/11 NRC Ticker Study surveyed over 250,000 households representing 400,000 consumers in the U.S.

The 2010/2011 Ticker Study is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive study of its kind. No other study used to measure hospital performance and consumer preferences contains more responses than NRC’s study. The study has a margin of error of +/- 0.2 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

Both Mercy Health System and UW Hospital and Clinics were the hospitals most preferred by patients in the Janesville area market.

For more information, please visit MercyHealthSystem.org