Women Pick Top Hospitals for Heart Care

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Tens of thousands of women have chosen their top hospitals taking care of their hearts. The Women’s Choice Awards for America’s Best Hospitals for Heart Care, announced Jan. 29, recognize top U.S. hospitals that are meeting strict criteria that consider patient satisfaction, clinical excellence and what women say they want from a hospital.

The list of top hospitals was announced in recognition of February being American Heart Month. One in every three women dies from heart disease and stroke in the United States, according to the American Heart Association.

The America’s Best Hospitals for Heart Care list is determined by first identifying the top 25 percent of hospitals across the nation that offer a minimum number of cardiac and/or vascular services. Only hospitals that perform well clinically with regard to heart-care measures reported to Medicare and also have a high Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) recommendation score are selected. No subjective considerations are used to determine the award winners, and hospitals don’t pay to be on the list.

“Women are taking more control of the decision making process when it comes to selecting hospitals prior to selecting doctors,” said Delia Passi, founder of the Women’s Choice Award and former publisher of Working Mother magazine, in a statement. “As the primary health care decision makers, making quick decisions goes against her grain and women are seeking more information than ever before when choosing a hospital. Our mission is to reduce the risk for women so they can make smarter health care choices.”

There are more than 350 hospitals awarded, but a number of them also showcase the Women’s Choice Award Seal at their hospital. They include:

AnMed Health Medical Center (Anderson, S.C.)

Athens Regional Health System (Athens, Ga.)

Baptist Heart Hospital, located at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville
(Jacksonville, Fla.)

Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Baptist Medical Center South (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Citizens Medical Center (Victoria, Texas)

Comanche County Memorial Hospital (Lawton, Okla.)

Genesis Heart Institute (Davenport, Iowa)

INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center (Oklahoma City, Okla.)

Kettering Medical Center (Kettering, Ohio)

North Cypress Medical Center (Cypress, Texas)

Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (New Brunswich, N.J.)

Saint Agnes Medical Center (Fresno, Calif.)

San Antonio Community Hospital (Upland, Calif.)

St. Elizabeth Healthcare (Edgewood, Ky.)

St. Peter’s Hospital (Albany, N.Y.)

St. Tammany Parish Hospital (Covington, La.)

Stamford Hospital (Stamford, Conn.)

Swedish American Hospital (Rockford, Ill.)

The Valley Hospital (Ridgewood, N.J.)

University of Connecticut Health Center (Farmington, Conn.)

Winthrop University Hospital (Mineola, N.Y.)

View the full list of America’s Best Hospitals for Heart Care here.