The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has been named one of America’s Best Hospitals for Cancer Care by the Women’s Choice Award®, America’s trusted referral source for the best in health care. Karmanos Cancer Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, is one of 412 award recipients representing the hospitals that have met the highest standards for cancer care in the U.S. and is in the top 8 percent of 4,789 U.S. hospitals offering cancer care services.
A hospital must be designated by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer Classification (ACS CoC) as one of four specific types of cancer programs to be considered for the award. The Women’s Choice Award measures hospitals on the presence of specific cancer-related services offered onsite, infection rates and patient recommendation ratings on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey.
The award is unique in that criteria also include primary research about women’s health care preferences.
“We are humbled to receive this honor once again this year,” said Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Karmanos. “We have earned this award multiple years and it underscores the fact that many women realize that we deliver the best and most innovative therapies to the approximately 12,000 newly-diagnosed cancer patients who come to us each year.
“People have many choices on where to go for their cancer care and it is heartening that Women Certified has acknowledged our unflagging commitment to our patients.”
Women make approximately 80 percent of health care decisions for their families and are more likely to be the caregivers when a family member falls ill, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor.
“Women will search on their own for the best cancer care,” said Delia Passi, founder and CEO of the Women’s Choice Award. “According to our own survey, nearly two-thirds of women would do their own research versus letting a doctor choose a hospital for their cancer care. The Women’s Choice Award makes it easier for them to make confident decisions.”
Accreditation required for the award ensures that a hospital or facility offers a full range of diagnostic and treatment services, or provides integrated cancer care and comprehensive services. Accreditation also signifies that the facility participates in cancer-related clinical research. Karmanos has one of the largest clinical trials programs in the country, providing patients access to more than 400 clinical trials.
Low infection rates compared to the national average are another important measure. Oncology patients are more susceptible than other patients to hospital-acquired infections because of their compromised immune systems.
Passi emphasized that Karmanos and all 2017 America’s Best Hospitals for Cancer Care deliver on the care that matters most to women.
“In addition to our award winners’ high-level performance on a national level, they provide the care that women value most, including easily accessible services onsite to avoid multiple trips for their treatment, which is so important to women faced with a cancer diagnosis,” Passi said.
Click 2017 America’s Best Hospitals for Cancer Care to view this year’s cancer centers selected by Women’s Choice Award®.
For more information on cancer services available at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer institute, call 1-800-KARMANOS (1-800-527-6266) or visit www.karmanos.org.