ALBUQUERQUE (March 23, 2015) – Lovelace Women’s Hospital was recently honored with two Women’s Choice Awards for Patient Safety and America’s Best Breast Centers. This is the second year in a row the hospital has earned the America’s Best Breast Centers designation. Lovelace Women’s Hospital is the only hospital in New Mexico to be recognized for both awards.
The Women’s Choice Award is the only distinction that identifies the nation’s best health care institutions based on robust criteria that considers patient satisfaction, clinical excellence and women’s highest preferences when it comes to treatment and a quality hospital experience.
“Lovelace Women’s Hospital is delighted to be part of the Women’s Choice Awards for the second year in a row,” said Sheri Milone, Lovelace Women’s Hospital CEO. “We take great pride in the care we provide to our patients, especially in the realm of patient safety. Being recognized by women for our work in that area and our commitment to women’s health in general is an important designation for us.”
Lovelace Women’s Hospital was one of the 472 America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Safety that were identified based on having a low incidence of problems arising from surgical errors and infections after reporting their frequency to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Hospitals were then ranked on eleven measures and eliminated from consideration for not reporting on at least four of the surgical complication measures or four of the infection measures, having a below average patient recommendation rating, and ranking in the bottom 5% for any one of the measures and not implementing surgical checklists.
Lovelace Women’s Hospital was eligible for the America’s Best Breast Centers award because they met the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers standards from the American College of Surgeons. Lovelace Women’s Hospital also carries the seal of the American College of Radiologists as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence and scored above-average on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services patient satisfaction measures.
“We have found that recommendations are the single most important consideration used by women in selecting a hospital or care center,” added Delia Passi, CEO and founder of WomenCertified, home of the Women’s Choice Award. “By letting women know which hospitals in their area are among America’s best, we are able to reduce risk by helping them make better decisions and smarter health care choices.”
By carrying the Women’s Choice Award seal in these areas, Lovelace Women’s Hospital has joined an elite network of hospitals committed to a global mission empowering women to make smart healthcare choices.