The National Research Corporation's 2011-12 Consumer Choice Award winners were announced, and regional facilities made the cut. The award identifies hospitals that healthcare consumers have chosen as having the highest quality and image ratings in more than 300 markets throughout the nation. Of the 3,200 hospitals named by consumers in the study, the winning facilities rank highest in their Core Based Statistical Areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

National Research Corporation — an independent healthcare performance measurement company — annually provides Consumer Choice Awards for the most preferred hospitals in major U.S. markets, according to a news release. Winners, named in Modern Healthcare magazine, are selected from a comprehensive, nationwide consumer healthcare profile. The awards for hospitals are based on preference responses.

The winning hospitals are selected based on multiple quality and image ratings collected by the company's survey, according to the release. The study surveyed more than 250,000 households representing 450,000 consumers in the U.S.

Florida winners included:

Baptist Hospital of Miami

(Cowinners) Baptist Medical Center and Mayo Clinic Hospital - Jackson, Jacksonville

Bay Medical Center - Panama, Panama City - Lynn Haven

Florida Hospital - Orlando

Halifax Health Medical Center, Daytona Beach

Holmes Regional Medical Center, Melbourne

Lakeland Regional Medical Center, Lakeland

Lee Memorial Hospital, Fort Meyers

Martin Memorial Medical Center, Port St. Lucie

Munroe Regional Medical Center, Ocala

NCH Healthcare System, Naples

Sacred Heart Health System, Pensacola

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System

Shands at the University of Florida, Gainesville

Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare

Tampa General Hospital

For a complete list of winners, check out http://hcmg.nationalresearch.com/public/ConsumerWinnersYear2011.aspx. •