Temecula Valley Hospital Receives Two 2019 Women’s Choice Award® Achievements

Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Temecula Valley Hospital Receives Two 2019 Women’s Choice Award® Achievements

Temecula Valley Hospital has been named one of America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Safety and one of America’s Best Stroke Centers by the Women’s Choice Award®, America’s trusted referral source for the best in healthcare. The award signifies that Temecula Valley Hospital is in the top eight percent of 4,797 U.S. hospitals for patient safety and is in the top nine percent of 4,797 U.S. hospitals offering stroke care services.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five women in the United States will have a stroke in her lifetime. Nearly 60 percent of stroke deaths are in women, and stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer. Most alarming, the percentage of strokes in women under age 45 is increasing, with studies showing these women are more likely to be misdiagnosed.

“Timely diagnosis and effective care are critical to preventing disability and improving chances of recovery,” said Delia Passi, founder, and CEO of the Women’s Choice Award. “Our award educates women about where they — and their loved ones — have the best chance to return to a full life following a stroke.”

A stroke center must be certified by the Joint Commission Stroke Certification Program as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center and/or Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center to be considered for the award.  It is the only award recognizing excellence in stroke care based on robust criteria that consider patient satisfaction and clinical excellence. 

The methodology used to select Temecula Valley Hospital as one of America’s Best Stroke Centers is unique in that it evaluates 30-day stroke mortality and readmission rates and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey results along with primary research about women’s healthcare preferences. Hospitals must also score in the top 80 percent of all hospitals in the following areas:

  • Percent of patients receiving head CT scan results within 45 minutes
  • Percent of patients receiving fibrinolytic therapy

Healthcare has made significant strides in patient safety in recent years. Hospital-acquired conditions declined 21 percent 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 methodology used to select Temecula Valley Hospital 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. 

To receive the award, hospitals must also use an Inpatient Safe Surgery Checklist to assess effective communication and safe practices during three perioperative periods: prior to administration of anesthesia; prior to skin incision; and prior to the patient leaving the operating room or procedural area. 

“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 Passi. “This recognition is critical for women as they make 80 percent of healthcare decisions and need to know they are putting themselves — and their family members — in safe hands.”

Temecula Valley Hospital is one of 439 award recipients representing the hospitals that have met the highest standards for stroke care in the U.S. by the Women’s Choice Award, and one of 399 award recipients representing the hospitals that have met the highest standards for patient safety in the U.S. by the Women’s Choice Award. 

“We are extremely proud to be awarded these two elite achievements of being named One of America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Safety and One of America’s Best Stroke Centers,” said Darlene Wetton, CEO, Temecula Valley Hospital.  “Our staff and physicians provide high standards of care to the community, and we demonstrate patient safety in everything we do at Temecula Valley Hospital.”

About the Women's Choice Award

The Women’s Choice Award® is a trusted referral source, empowering women to make smart healthcare choices by identifying the country’s best healthcare institutions based on robust criteria that consider female patient satisfaction and clinical excellence. The Women’s Choice Award has been honored by the INC 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies for three consecutive years. Visit http://www.womenschoiceaward.com/ to learn more.