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St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee has been named a 4‑Star Top Performer for overall emergency department care by Professional Research Consultants (PRC), placing the hospital in the national Top 25% for Emergency Department performance in PRC’s 2026 Excellence in Healthcare Awards. The recognition arrives as the hospital continues to support residents after a recent EF‑3 tornado and underscores local emergency readiness and care quality.
The award—an Award of Distinction in PRC’s program—reflects scores compiled from structured feedback collected across patients, staff and physicians. PRC’s results are used widely to benchmark experience, engagement and clinical alignment within hospitals nationwide.
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What the honor recognizes
The Excellence in Healthcare Awards evaluate multiple dimensions of performance. PRC cites three core areas that drive winners’ scores:
- Patient experience and satisfaction as reported in post‑visit surveys
- Employee engagement and workplace climate measured through staff feedback
- Physician alignment and collaboration assessed via clinician surveys
Joe M. Inguanzo, Ph.D., PRC’s president and CEO, praised St. Mary’s commitment, saying the results reflect “consistent effort and leadership” that improve care in emergency medicine. He emphasized that the honor is earned through sustained focus on both clinical quality and the daily patient experience.
Community impact and recent response
St. Mary’s is part of the Prime Healthcare Foundation network and notes a long history of local service: its emergency department has been continuously available since 1897. Hospital leaders point to their team’s role in responding to the March 10 EF‑3 tornado that struck the Aroma Park area as evidence of that ongoing readiness.
“Our emergency doors remain open to everyone who needs care,” said Patrick Kerrwood, chief executive officer of St. Mary’s Hospital, in a statement. He added that staff strive to treat each patient with dignity regardless of their situation.
Specialized care for older adults
Late last year the hospital also achieved national recognition from the American College of Emergency Physicians when its emergency department received the Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA). St. Mary’s is the only facility in Kankakee County to hold that designation, which signals enhanced protocols and staff training focused on the needs of older patients.
That accreditation, combined with PRC’s award, positions the hospital as a local center for both acute response and age‑responsive emergency care—two priorities for communities facing an aging population and increasing climate‑related weather events.
Why this matters
For patients and families in Kankakee County, the recognitions validate the hospital’s ability to deliver dependable emergency services during crises and daily operations. For nearby healthcare providers and planners, the honors serve as a marker of readiness and a model for combining patient experience metrics with targeted clinical programs for older adults.
More information on PRC’s 2026 Excellence in Healthcare Awards, including eligibility and methodology, is available at PRCExcellence.com.
