Saint Peter's Named Among Best Hospitals for Women's Health

Editor's Note: The following information is a press release from Saint Peter's University Hospital.

Saint Peter’s University Hospital has received the Women’s Choice Award from WomenCertified, distinguishing it as one of the 2012 America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience. The award is based on robust criteria that consider female patient satisfaction and what women say they want from a hospital including quality physician communications, responsiveness of nurses and support staff, cleanliness, and trusted referrals from other women. WomenCertified represents the collective voice of female consumers and is a trusted referral source for top businesses and brands identified as meeting the needs and preferences of women.

“At Saint Peter’s University Hospital, we’ve always focused on exceptional patient care. To be recognized as a Top 100 Hospital for Patient Experience and a Women’s Choice Award recipient validates the work of our dedicated staff on behalf of women and all our patients,” says Ronald C. Rak, J.D., President and CEO, Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, the hospital’s parent company.

Women make or influence more than 90 percent of health care decisions for themselves and their families, according to a study published by the American Academy of Family Physicians. The Women’s Choice Award signals that a hospital meets high standards regarding a woman’s preferences and the distinction allows women to make an informed decision about where to go for care for themselves or their family.

“Saint Peter’s University Hospital’s selection by WomenCertified as one of America’s Best 100 Hospitals for Patient Experience differentiates it from other choices in the area,” explains Delia Passi, CEO and founder of WomenCertified, and former publisher of Working Woman and Working Mother magazines. “Women have many choices when it comes to health care and they set the standard for customer service.  Women’s Choice Award recipients have demonstrated extraordinary service in meeting the needs of women and their families, and represent the smart choice for women.”

Hospitals qualify for this highly selective annual list based on an in-depth proprietary scoring process. The scoring incorporates a national standardized survey of patients' perspectives of hospital care reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) and an analysis that weighs criteria identified as the most important to women for patient satisfaction. Additionally, the scoring incorporates WomenCertified’s in-depth research on customer satisfaction among women, including a joint study on customer satisfaction by gender conducted with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The 100 best scores in four hospital size categories determine the Award winners. WomenCertified accepts absolutely no payment in exchange for placement on the list.

“Recognizing the best hospitals nationwide that are women-friendly and align with women’s identified preferences is important to our mission at WomenCertified, where women help other women with tough, consumer decisions,” Passi concludes. “Most importantly, when a woman sees the Women’s Choice Award at her local hospital, she’ll know the hospital values her experience as a critical component of her and her loved one’s care.”