Cancer Treatment Centers of America® Midwestern Regional Medical Center Receives HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ for Third Consecutive Year

HCAHPS data shows 92 percent of patients would definitely recommend CTCA at Midwestern to friends and family

CHICAGO, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center (Midwestern) proudly announced today that it has received the 2012 HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ -- one of only four recipients in all of Chicagoland, one of 13 in Illinois, and one of 332 nationwide to receive the prestigious award. This is the third consecutive year that CTCA at Midwestern has been recognized with the honor.

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The HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award is issued based on an analysis of patient surveys from 3,837 hospitals across the country by HealthGrades, a leading independent healthcare ratings organization.

This also marks the third consecutive year that CTCA at Midwestern has achieved the distinction of performing in the top five percent in the nation – one of only two hospitals in Chicagoland, nine in Illinois and 166 in the nation to do so.

"It is with extreme honor and great pride that CTCA at Midwestern receive the prestigious HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award for three years running," says Anne Meisner, President and CEO of CTCA at Midwestern. "It's an incredible tribute to our team of stellar cancer experts who work tirelessly to exceed the expectations of our patients and their families by delivering unparalleled service in every interaction," she adds.

Under a program administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, surveys were sent to patients within 48 hours after their discharge. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey data was collected between April 2010 and March 2011.

Survey questions fell into the following 10 categories:

1. Overall rating: How do patients rate the hospital overall?
2. Recommendation to family/friends: Would patients recommend the hospital to friends and family?
3. Communication with doctors: How often did doctors communicate well with patients?
4. Communication with nurses: How often did nurses communicate well with patients?
5. Responsiveness of hospital staff: How often did patients receive help quickly from hospital staff?
6. Pain management: How often was patients' pain well controlled?
7. Communication about medicines: How often did staff explain medicines before giving them to patients?
8. Discharge information: Were patients given information about what to do during their recovery at home? (This question was the only yes/no measure.)
9. Cleanliness: How often were the patients' rooms and bathrooms kept clean?
10. Quietness: How often was the area around patients' rooms kept quiet at night?

The analysis of the HCAHPS surveys by HealthGrades found that CTCA at Midwestern outperformed the national average in all 10 categories. For example, 87 percent of patients surveyed gave CTCA at Midwestern an overall rating of a 9 or a 10 (10 being the highest possible) compared to a 68 percent average for all reporting hospitals in the U.S. An overwhelming 92 percent of patients surveyed reported that they would definitely recommend CTCA at Midwestern to their families and friends compared to a 70 percent average for all reporting hospitals in the U.S. Additionally, 96 percent of patients reported that they were given information about what to do during their recovery at home compared to a national average of 82 percent.

"This year HealthGrades paid particular attention to the impact that patient-provider communication has on patient experience," said Kristin Reed, MPH, HealthGrades Vice President of hospital quality programs and author of the study. "Communication is clearly an important factor for patient satisfaction, but it can also be critical to ensuring positive outcomes. We commend hospitals like CTCA at Midwestern for setting the standard for outstanding patient experience," she added.

Cancer patients travel from all 50 states to receive treatment at CTCA at Midwestern.

About Cancer Treatment Centers of America®

Founded in 1988, Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) is a network of cancer treatment hospitals and community oncology programs in Illinois, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Washington and Arizona. CTCA provides a comprehensive, patient-centered treatment model that fully integrates conventional, state-of-the-art medical treatments with scientifically-supported complementary therapies such as nutrition, naturopathic medicine, psychological counseling, physical therapy and spiritual support to meet the special, whole-person needs of cancer patients with complex and advanced-stage disease. CTCA encourages patients and their families to participate in treatment decisions through its Patient Empowerment Medicine(SM) model. For more information about Cancer Treatment Centers of America, go to www.cancercenter.com.

SOURCE Cancer Treatment Centers of America