Fremont Health Receives the 2018 Women's Choice Award

Fremont Health Medical Center

Receives the 2018 Women’s Choice Award®
for Emergency Care and Patient Safety

Press Release January 9, 2018

Fremont Health Medical Center has been named one of America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care and Patient Safety by the Women’s Choice Award^®, America’s trusted referral source for the best in healthcare.

Fremont Health scored in the top 4% in the country for emergency care, and in the top 8% for patient safety.

“We are very proud to be named among America’s Best Hospitals in these two categories,” said Patrick Booth, President and CEO of Fremont Health. “These recognitions are a considerable honor, given the numerous quality and service metrics used by Women’s Choice Award. They acknowledge the amazing work of our emergency personnel and the tremendous efforts of our entire team to provide the safest, high-quality care every day for our patients.”

Emergency Care

The methodology for America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care award combines Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey results with primary research about women’s healthcare preferences. The award recognizes excellence in emergency care based on several process of care measures focused on time patients spent in the emergency department, including:

• Time to admission
• Time from admission to room
• Door to diagnosis

Criteria for selecting Fremont Health as one of America’s Best for Emergency Care also included the average time before outpatients with chest pain or a possible heart attack received an ECG, and the average time patients with broken bones had to wait before getting pain medication. 

The award is especially significant given that long waits and high crowding can negatively impact patient outcomes, including patients leaving without receiving medical treatment, longer overall length of hospital stay and an increase in mortality rates. 

“Emergency departments can be very stressful environments, particularly for the elderly or a mother with a sick or injured child,” said Delia Passi, founder and CEO of the Women’s Choice Award.  “Women make over 80% of healthcare decisions and want to be confident that they know which emergency departments in their communities will take care of their loved ones quickly and with the best possible care.”     

"In emergency medicine, every minute matters,” commented Pat Callaway, Director of Emergency and Outpatient Services at Fremont Health. “That’s why, on average, the wait time to see a doctor or mid-level provider is seven minutes, well ahead of regional and national standards for emergency care.”

Fremont Health is one of 328 award recipients representing the hospitals that have met the highest standards for emergency care in the U.S. by the Women’s Choice Award.

Patient Safety

Healthcare has made significant strides in patient safety in recent years. Hospital-acquired conditions declined 21% from 2010 to 2015, resulting in 125,000 fewer patient deaths according to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hospital-acquired conditions are conditions that a patient develops while in the hospital being treated for something else.

“The recipients of the America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Safety award have led the country by implementing safe practices that have ultimately saved lives,” said Delia Passi, founder and CEO of the Women’s Choice Award. “This recognition is critical for women as they make 80% of healthcare decisions and need to know they are putting themselves—and their family members—in safe hands.”

The methodology used to select Fremont Health Medical Center as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Safety is unique in that it evaluates 11 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) measures of infections and complications, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey results along with primary research about women’s healthcare preferences. It is the only award recognizing excellence in patient safety based on robust criteria that consider patient satisfaction and clinical excellence. 

“We have an extensive team in place and a number of initiatives aimed at lowering the incidence of issues related to surgical errors and infections, ensuring we are providing the highest quality and safest care possible,” said Bev Johnson, Director Clinical Effectiveness. “

Fremont Health is one of 522 award recipients representing the hospitals that have met the highest standards for patient safety in the U.S. by the Women’s Choice Award. 

For more information about the America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Safety, please visit https://www.womenschoiceaward.com/awarded/healthcare/