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"Virtua has always had the highest ethical standards and we are dedicated to holding firm to the values of our mission," said Richard P. Miller, President and CEO of Virtua Health. "We want the public to understand that all of Cooper's claims against Virtua are false and we want the public to have the correct information."
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For many years, Cooper has claimed, unchallenged, that they had the "most Top Docs" in the region with nothing more official than the endorsement of a TV personality to back up their claims.
During the summer of 2008, Virtua recognized a trend in higher numbers of Virtua Top Doctors than the number of doctors claimed by Cooper. Significant time was spent documenting the number of doctors from all publications with Top Doc listings, and the doctors on Virtua's medical staffs were clearly in the lead. Virtua recognized that at some point, they needed to challenge Cooper's claim. Rather than relying on Virtua's own research, Virtua directed its ad agency to contract with an independent research firm to verify its findings which they posted on sjtopdocs.org. Following that verification, Virtua went public with its findings.
According to Miller, Cooper is an organization that receives a considerable amount of taxpayer dollars in the form of charity care. "The cost of such frivolous suits is a poor use of public healthcare dollars, especially in these difficult economic times," he said.
Virtua Health is a comprehensive healthcare system headquartered in Marlton, NJ. Its mission is to deliver a world-class patient experience through its programs of excellence in cancer treatment, cardiology, orthopaedics, women's health, pediatrics, surgery, neuroscience and wellness. A non-profit organization, Virtua employs 7,900 clinical and administrative personnel, and approximately 1,800 physicians serve as medical staff members. Virtua has distinguished itself as one of the first Six Sigma organizations in healthcare, as an early adopter of clinical and digital technologies, and for its innovative partnerships with nationally renowned organizations such as GE Healthcare, Fox Chase Cancer Center and A.I. duPont Hospital for Children. It has been honored twice with the New Jersey Governor's award for Clinical Excellence (Bronze in 2005; Silver in 2006) and recognized with the Leadership Award for Outstanding Achievement by Voluntary Hospitals of America. Virtua has been honored as the #1 Best Employer in the Delaware Valley by the Philadelphia Business Journal three years in a row and is the recipient of the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 Consumer Choice Awards by National Research Corporation. For more information, visit our website at www.virtua.org or call 1-888-VIRTUA-3 (1-888-847-8823).
SOURCE Virtua Health
