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 expecting mothers to make an informed decision
about where to go for their birthing and maternity care needs.
“Catawba Valley Medical Center’s selection by WomenCertified
as one of the Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Obstetrics 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 maternity
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.
Hospitals were also screened based on clinical criteria.
“Recognizing the best hospitals for obstetrics 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.”
About Catawba Valley Medical Center
Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., is the region’s
largest not-for-profit, public healthcare system and serves the community
without direct funding from taxes. CVMC provides and promotes physical,
mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to
serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventive
medicine and acute care. CVMC has received three Magnet designations from
the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has been recognized as one
of America’s Best 100 Hospitals for Patient Experience by WomenCertified®.
For more information, please visit
http://www.catawbavalleymedical.org.
About WomenCertified®
WomenCertified®, the voice of female consumers, awards businesses
and brands based on consumer experience. WomenCertified represents the
collective voice of women so they can help each other identify businesses
that deserve our loyalty and referrals. WomenCertified awards businesses
and brands that meet a higher standard of customer experience the Women’s
Choice Award. The Award is based on surveys of tens of thousands of women,
as well as research conducted in partnership with the Wharton School of
the University of Pennsylvania on what drives the consumer experience
for women vs. men, which led to the development of the Female Consumer
Satisfaction Index. Visit
http://www.womencertified.com.