Karmanos Cancer Institute Receives 2025 Women's Choice Awards® for Cancer Care, Mammogram Imaging, Minimally Invasive Surgery and Patient Experience

Range of treatment services and low infection rates cited in award recognition

DETROIT, Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has been named one of America's 2025 Best Hospitals for Cancer Care, Mammogram Imaging, Minimally Invasive Surgery, and Patient Experience by the Women's Choice Award^®, America's trusted referral source for the best in health care. This is the 12^th consecutive year Karmanos has been recognized by the Women's Choice Award^® since the inception of the national list.

"It is an honor to be awarded the Women's Choice Award. This recognition reflects the exceptional care provided by our oncologists and clinical team," said Brian Gamble, president of Karmanos Cancer Hospital and Cancer Network. "This award exemplifies our commitment to providing state-of-the-art, compassionate care to our patients each and every day. Receiving this recognition from the Women's Choice Award for the 12^th year in a row shows our continued dedication to ensuring that our patients are given their best chance."

America's Best Hospitals for Cancer Care
Karmanos, part of McLaren Health Care, was ranked among the top 6% of 4,675 hospitals offering cancer care services in the U.S. To qualify as one of America's Best Hospitals for Cancer Care, 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, which includes being a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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.

"The very first step on a cancer journey is knowing where to go for the best care," said Delia Passi, founder and CEO of the Women's Choice Award and a breast cancer survivor. "We're empowering women to make confident decisions about the best hospital for cancer care for themselves and their loved ones. We help them make smart, informed choices during a stressful time."

"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," stated Passi.

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. Low infection rates compared to the national average are another critical measure.

Karmanos Cancer Hospital is one of 505 award recipients representing the hospitals that have met the highest standards for cancer care in the U.S. by the Women's Choice Award. 

America's Best Hospitals for Mammogram Imaging
The Women's Choice Award^® ranked Karmanos Cancer Center's Walt Comprehensive Breast Center as one of 546 award winners recognized as America's Best Hospitals for Mammogram Imaging. This designation acknowledges imaging centers that are accredited for Mammograms (MAP) and carry the Breast Imaging Center of Excellence (BICOE) [recently renamed the Comprehensive Breast Imaging Center (CBIC)] seal from the American College of Radiology, showing they offer high-quality, accreditation-level care in all four breast imaging accreditation programs offered and have elected to undergo ongoing self-assessment to ensure a quality, comprehensive patient experience. Hospitals must also have a patient recommendation rating of 67% or more (i.e., higher than the national average) from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) survey (HCAHPS).

"We offer the latest imaging and diagnostics at many of our locations, especially in metro Detroit, which includes our headquarters in Detroit and our location in Farmington Hills. Soon, we will offer mammography at a new location in Dearborn," explained Gamble. "Our high-risk breast cancer program has grown and now provides more robust preventive screening through an assessment given to and updated by all patients visiting for a mammogram. Our goal is to monitor and catch cancers as early as possible. This honor illustrates our efforts to provide better screening options to help the communities we serve. We look forward to continuing to grow this program throughout the Karmanos Cancer Network."

"As a breast cancer survivor, I learned the hard way that where you choose to have your mammogram can have a profound impact on your outcome and experience," added Passi.

"Knowing where to go for the best mammogram will reduce your risk of a false positive or the possibility of missing cancers," said Passi. "By letting women know which imaging centers in their area are among America's best for mammograms, we are able to reduce risk by helping them make better decisions and smarter health care choices."

America's 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience
Karmanos ranked among the top 100 hospitals of similar size based on the number of beds. The methodology used to select Karmanos evaluated specific HCAHPS survey results and primary research about women's health care preferences.

The Women's Choice Award^® collects the data for the following HCAHPS survey measures and uses a weighted average to award the best hospitals for patient experience:

• Effective communication with nurses and doctors.
• Responsiveness to requests for help.
• Providing patient recovery information.
• Explanation about medications before being administered.
• Bathroom and room cleanliness.
• Peacefulness of room at night.
• Patient recommendation rating.

"Our patients have chosen us to receive critical care in a time of uncertainty," said Gamble. "Providing them a pleasant and comfortable stay for them and their family, as well as making sure they understand their diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and medication, are top priorities to helping them begin their healing journey."

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, good patient experience positively correlates to disease management, adherence to treatment plans and health outcomes. Providing a good patient experience also benefits business as it results in greater employee morale and satisfaction, thereby reducing turnover and helping recruit top talent. It also keeps patients loyal and happy and less likely to change providers or systems, supporting the bottom line. In a survey of health care consumers, 82% would switch providers due to a bad experience. At the same time, 86% of women would travel up to 50 miles for a hospital rated best in patient experience.

"By raising your standards to meet the highest expectations – which studies show tend to be held by women – you're giving everyone the best you have to offer," added Passi. "The Women's Choice Award is so much more than an award. As one of America's Best Hospitals for Patient Experience, your entire hospital and all of your service lines are lifted up for the exceptional experience you provide – not only for women but for all patients."

The Women's Choice Award^® also gave Karmanos the Minimally Invasive Surgery Award for ranking in the top 11% out of 4,675 hospitals nationwide. View Karmanos' listing on the Women's Choice Award^® website here.

For more information on Karmanos Cancer Institute's cancer services and programs, call 1-800-KARMANOS or visit karmanos.org.

About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Karmanos Cancer Institute is a leader in transformative cancer care, research and education through courage, commitment and compassion. The Karmanos vision is a world free of cancer. As part of McLaren Health Care, Karmanos is the largest provider of cancer care and research in Michigan. For more than 75 years, the administrative and research headquarters, along with the premier specialty cancer hospital, have been located in downtown Detroit. With 16 network sites, Karmanos delivers world-renowned care and access to clinical trials throughout Michigan and northern Ohio. The National Cancer Institute recognizes Karmanos as one of the best cancer centers in the nation with a comprehensive cancer center designation. Its academic partnership with the Wayne State University School of Medicine provides the framework for cancer research and education – defining new standards of care and improving survivorship. For more information, call 1-800-KARMANOS (800-527-6266) or visit karmanos.org. Follow Karmanos on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About the Women's Choice Award^®
The Women's Choice Award for Best Hospitals™ is a trusted referral source and coveted credential that identifies the nation's best hospitals based on robust criteria that includes relevant clinical performance, patient satisfaction and appropriate accreditations. The Best Hospitals demonstrate exceptional ratings, providing the highest level of care and commitment to their patients' health and well-being. The Women's Choice Award is the only designation that takes into consideration the preferences of women when selecting a hospital. Visit womenschoiceaward.com to learn more. 

SOURCE Karmanos Cancer Institute