Forrest General Hospital receives 2016 Women’s Choice Award
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - This is a press release from Forrest General Hospital.
Forrest General Hospital has received the 2016 Women’s Choice Award® as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Cancer Care. This evidence-based designation is the only cancer care award that identifies the country’s best healthcare institutions based on robust criteria that considers female patient satisfaction, clinical excellence, and what women say they want from a hospital.
The list of 366 award winners, including Forrest General, represents hospitals that have been accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer, signifying Forrest General’s commitment to meeting the highest standards in cancer care.
Laurie Douglas, MD, expert in oncology and hematology for Hattiesburg Clinic & Forrest General said, "We are truly honored to receive this award here at the Cancer Center mainly because it is not only based on a robust kind of clinical objective, data from an accredited society, but I think more importantly it comes from our women patients, their patient satisfaction ratings and surveys, and personal recommendations, which is really important to us."
“It is a well-known fact that women often make decisions for their families concerning healthcare. When faced with a difficult diagnosis such as cancer, knowing that Forrest General Cancer Center has been recognized by such a trustworthy organization will make healthcare decisions much easier,” said Joe Marcello, service line administrator for Oncology Services.
The 2016 America’s Best Hospitals for Cancer Care must have received accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer as any of the following: a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated Comprehensive Cancer program, a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program, an Integrated Network Cancer Program, or an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program. These selected hospitals were then given a score based on their patient recommendation rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Consumer Assessment for Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey.
Additional criteria considered if a hospital offered on site chemotherapy, radiation or hospice, and cancer research activities. Hospitals were penalized for having high infection rates.
“Women have many choices when it comes to cancer care, but now they can make informed choices based on rigorous evidence based criteria,” said Delia Passi, Founder and CEO of the Women’s Choice Award.
