Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance recently was honored for providing "an outstanding patient experience" --- the only South Bay hospital to receive this distinction from the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital Program.

The hospital's service excellence distinction was determined by surveying a random sample of recently discharged patients from the hospital and comparing the results to a national benchmank established by J.D. Power. The hospital exceeded the national benchmark level of patient satisfaction.

"We believe this distinction validates all the hard work of our staff, physicians and volunteers," said Mark Costa, chief operating officer. "Service excellence at our hospital means a personal commitment to knowing and meeting our patients' expectations. It is the essence of our mission and values. Repeat and satisfied patients are the key to our future."

Two years ago Little Company of Mary Hospital launched a Service Excellence Program, training all staff members to improve the patient experience from admitting and bedside to clinical areas and discharge.

"In today's health care environment, it's simply not enough to provide high quality clinical care, we must also strive to improve the overall patient experience," said Blair Contratto, chief executive.