Sebasticook Valley Hospital (SVH) President/CEO John C. May recently announced that the Pittsfield hospital has been recognized for "Exceeding Patient Expectations in Service Quality" for the fifth consecutive year by Avatar International. Avatar International measures customer expectations in healthcare for healthcare organizations worldwide.

According to Mr. May, "This award is a testament to the hard work of our staff and board of trustees who have worked tirelessly to ensure our hospital's quality goals are met and exceeded each year. When SVH received Avatar's Overall Best Performer Award for 2006 and this recent Avatar quality award every year since 2003, we knew we were on target with our efforts in making patient satisfaction our top priority."

In making the announcement, David Medvedeff, Pharm.D., MBA, CEO of Avatar said, "The hallmark of exceptional service to patients is to consistently meet or exceed their expectations – not always an easy task. Sebasticook Valley Hospita; has demonstrated that it exceeds its patients' expectations in a tangible and measurable manner. As a winner of Avatar's Exceeding Expectations Award, I congratulate SVH for its continued and impressive efforts to put patients first."

SVH is a progressive 25-bed acute-care hospital in Pittsfield, Maine. It was established in 1963 by a group of community leaders, and since then has been an integral member of the communities it serves ever since. SVH is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and is a proud member of the Eastern Maine Healthcare System.