SOUTH BEND, Ind., Jan. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Press Ganey Associates, Inc., a recognized leader in health care performance improvement, announced today that it acquired Morehead Associates, Inc., one of the industry’s foremost employee and physician engagement firms. The acquisition strengthens Press Ganey’s comprehensive suite of patient experience solutions and services, while emphasizing the importance of physician and employee engagement in achieving sustainable change in providers nationwide.

“The acquisition of Morehead enables us to rapidly fulfill our vision of redefining the patient experience industry,” said Patrick T. Ryan, CEO of Press Ganey. “Clearly, as the first line of contact, employee and physician perceptions, alignment and engagement are among the most critical factors in understanding opportunities for improvement. We believe the combination of Morehead’s capabilities with Press Ganey’s strengths will better support our clients. Today is a good day for patients across the country.”

Morehead is recognized for its scientific rigor, extensive employee and physician benchmarking database, and consulting expertise. Its union with Press Ganey will bring greater dimension to Press Ganey’s analytics, through the integration of employee and physician metrics with patient satisfaction data. The combined entities will possess the largest trending database along with comprehensive, flexible survey instruments and intuitive, actionable reporting tools to provide clients with insights for more targeted performance improvement. The integration of Morehead with Press Ganey’s strategic advisory teams will offer expertise across the patient experience and specialization in employee and physician engagement.

“Our vision has always been to help clients create an engaged health care workforce that delivers superior patient care,” said Larry Tilson, CEO of Morehead. “I can’t think of a better way to grow and meet that vision than by partnering with the indisputable industry leader in measuring and improving the patient’s experience of care. Our clients will continue to benefit from Morehead’s expertise along the health care continuum, and I’m excited about the investments and innovative thinking Press Ganey brings to the table. I’ve always admired their work and am confident our clients and the industry will be better served.”

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Brookwood Associates served as financial advisor to Morehead on the transaction.

Press Ganey Associates, Inc.
Recognized as a leader in performance improvement for nearly 30 years, Press Ganey partners with more than 10,000 health care organizations worldwide to create and sustain high performing organizations, and, ultimately, improve the overall health care experience. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions to help clients operate efficiently, improve quality, increase market share and optimize reimbursement. Press Ganey works with clients from across the continuum of care – hospitals, medical practices, home care agencies and other providers – including 50 percent of all U.S. hospitals. For more information, visit www.pressganey.com.

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SOURCE Press Ganey Associates, Inc.