Vanderbilt University Medical Center has earned a 2019 Women’s Choice Award, receiving recognition as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience.
“We are truly honored to be recognized for our commitment to our patients, and we are particularly grateful to learn that we received high marks in areas of service that matter most to the women we serve both as patients and as the family members of our patients,” said Paul Sternberg Jr., MD, VUMC Chief Patient Experience Officer.
“We know how important it is to go that extra mile to earn the confidence and loyalty of those we serve, and this is a wonderful confirmation of the hard work our employees do every day to deliver personalized care,” said Brian Carlson, VUMC Patient Experience Senior Director.
Patient experience includes many elements of health care delivery valued by patients such as getting timely appointments and good communication with health care providers. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a federal Department of Health and Human Services agency, a positive patient experience directly correlates to better disease management, adherence to treatment plans and improved health outcomes.
The methodology used to select America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience evaluated specific results from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, which is completed by patients following a hospital discharge, along with primary research about women’s health care preferences.
In 2019, the Women’s Choice Award collected data for the following HCAHPS survey measures and used a weighted average to select the best hospitals for patient experience:
- Effective communication with nurses and doctors
- Responsiveness to requests for help
- Providing patient recovery information
- Explanation about medications before being administered
- Bathroom and room cleanliness
- Peacefulness of room at night
- Patient recommendation rating
Facilities were ranked among the top 100 hospitals of similar size based on number of beds in four categories, and VUMC is recognized in the category of hospitals with more than 400 beds.
“Hospital choice is a critical decision, particularly for women, who are the ‘Chief Health Care Officer’ for the family,” said Delia Passi, founder and CEO of the Women’s Choice Award. “Our patient experience award gives them the confidence to select a hospital where they and their families are more likely to receive patient-centric care for the best possible outcomes.”
The Women’s Choice Award®, a WomenCertified, Inc. company, empowers women to make smart health care choices by identifying the country’s best health care institutions based on robust criteria that consider female patient satisfaction and clinical excellence.
