Best Hospital Awards | Women’s Choice Award
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Best Hospitals and Health Facilities Award Methodology

The Women’s Choice Award identifies America’s Best Hospitals across our nation to help women make smart healthcare choices. Our goal is to simplify your choice of hospitals as we understand how this critically important decision can impact you and your family. Being treated with the proper level of care impacts your health, well-being and healing, so our goal is to identify those hospitals that have demonstrated the highest level of quality care to their patients, with a special focus on the female experience.

Being named and recognized as a hospital of choice among women is an honorable achievement as it represents the strongest and most important consumer message in today’s healthcare marketplace. Considering that women account for 90% of all healthcare decisions for her and her family, being a hospital of choice women trust is commendable.

Our methodology is unique in that it is the only national list that simplifies a woman’s choice when selecting a hospital. Our understanding of what matters most to women when selecting a hospital is based on surveys of tens of thousands of women, as well as research conducted in partnership with the Wharton School of Business on what drives the consumer experience for women vs. men. This research led us to understand that we cannot separate clinical performance from patient experience. Furthermore, all of the methodologies below take into consideration the recommendation rating based on patient feedback.

In arriving at our award determinations, we use the most recent publicly available information from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), as well as accreditation information from appropriate sources. In some cases, we have surveyed thousands of women to determine which measures are most important to them. Our methodology is 100% objective, replicable and uniform. There are no subjective considerations for any of our awards.

2027 Best Hospitals for Bariatric Surgery

The methodology for the bariatric surgery award is unique in that it combines national accreditations, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey results and hospital outcome scores with primary research about women’s healthcare preferences. It is the only award recognizing excellence in bariatric surgery based on robust criteria that consider patient satisfaction and clinical excellence.

Hospitals earning the America’s Best Hospitals for Bariatric Surgery Award have met the Comprehensive Center standards of The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) through the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP).

Additionally, hospitals that have received a Women’s Choice Award have been assessed for their patient safety ranking and a patient recommendation rating. In addition to the rigorous criteria required for comprehensive accreditation, these awarded centers are above the national average for Patient Recommendation (70%) on the most recent HCAHPS survey by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)1 and exhibit a strong safety culture, ranking in the top 50% for all hospitals nationwide for Patient Safety based on 12 CMS measures of infection and complication rates.

1 Data was used from the April, 2026 CMS data release

2027 Best Breast Imaging & Diagnostics

Facilities that earned the Best Breast Imaging & Diagnostics award are accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and carry the Comprehensive Breast Imaging Center (CBIC) designation — the highest level of recognition ACR awards in breast imaging. To earn CBIC status, a facility must hold separate ACR accreditation across all four core breast imaging and diagnostic services: mammography, breast ultrasound (including ultrasound-guided biopsy), stereotactic breast biopsy, and breast MRI. This comprehensive standard ensures women have access to accurate, high-quality imaging and diagnosis at every stage, from routine screening through advanced diagnostic follow-up, all under one accredited standard of care.

2027 Best Clinical Breast Care Program

The Best Clinical Breast Care Program award recipients have all met the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) standards from the American College of Surgeons. As a pioneer to setting criteria for breast diseases, NAPBC-accredited centers offer the highest standard of care providing women with access to board-certified specialists, breast surgeons, breasts radiologists, medical and radiation oncologists, breast pathologists, plastic/reconstructive surgeons as well as support professionals.

2027 Best Hospitals for Cancer Care

The Best Hospitals for Cancer Care must have received accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer as any of the following: a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated Comprehensive Cancer Program; a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program; an Integrated Network Cancer Program (with over 200 beds); or an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program. These accreditations require that the hospital have treated over 500 cancer cases in the most recent year and supports their commitment to providing high-quality, multidisciplinary, patient centered cancer care.

In addition to their accreditation, these selected hospitals were further segmented based on their patient recommendation rating from the most recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Consumer Assessment for Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey1. All accredited and awarded hospitals must receive a recommendation rating at or above the national average (70%) on the HCAHPS survey. Additional points were given if a hospital offered on-site chemotherapy, radiation or hospice, and cancer research activities. Further points were awarded if the hospital holds a magnet designation through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or if they hold a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. Hospitals also earn additional points if their infection ratings were “better than national average” and were disqualified if the infection ratings were worse than the national average with respect to Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI) and Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI).  Only the top 10% of hospitals nationwide were awarded for Cancer Care. 

1 Data was used from the April, 2026 CMS data release

2027 Best Hospitals for Emergency Care

The Best Hospitals for Emergency Care are hospitals that consistently rank among the best hospitals reporting on the performance of their respective Emergency Departments. They are judged on the following Emergency Department performance measures reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)1:

  1. Average time patients spent in the Emergency Department before leaving the hospital
  2. Percentage of patients who came to the Emergency Department with stroke symptoms, who received brain scan results within 45 minutes of arrival
  3. Adherence to Early Management Bundle – proven to be the most effective care among patients showing symptoms of severe sepsis
  4. Percentage of patients who left the Emergency Department without being seen
  5. Hospitals receive additional credit if they have an accredited trauma center

Each of the measures indicated above were weighted according to a survey of over 1,000 women on their relative priority and listed above in order of importance.

For each Emergency Department measure, the top 25th percentile and the top 50th percentile are determined for all hospitals reporting the measure. Hospitals that ranked in the top 25% nationwide for a measure received points according to the measure’s relative importance. Hospitals that ranked between 25% and 50% received half the points. Additionally, points were provided for the various trauma level centers.  Points were then totaled for all measures, per hospital. In addition to their score, these selected hospitals were then given a numerical score based on their patient recommendation rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Consumer Assessment for Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). Hospitals that received at or above the national average (69%) on the HCAHPS survey and with total scores that placed them in the top 10% nationally, earned the Women’s Choice Award.

1 Data was used from the April, 2026 CMS data release

2027 Best Hospitals for ER Wait Time & Efficiency

The Best Hospitals for ER Wait Time & Efficiency are hospitals that rank among the best when reporting on the performance of their respective emergency timeliness measures, and while providing excellent patient experience. They are judged on the following Emergency Department performance measures reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):

  1. Average time patients spend in the Emergency Department before leaving the hospital.
  2. Percentage of patients who left the Emergency Department without being seen.
  3. Hospitals are further reviewed to determine no more than a 10% deterioration of Average time patients spend in the Emergency Department from the same period of the prior year. For any hospital with greater than 10% deterioration, the Hospital may still qualify, but must be in the top 25% percentile of this measure.
  4. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Consumer Assessment for Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) measure must be above 70% to earn this award.

To earn this award, a hospital’s recommendation rating requirement was set at 70%.   This requirement was intended to ensure that while a hospital is providing timely care, the care was provided with urgency while still maintaining excellent quality experience for the patients. The Recommendation ratings are from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey from the April, 2026 CMS data release.

Hospitals that provided timely care, while maintaining a 70% recommendation rating or better on the national HCAHPS survey placed them in the top 10% nationally, earning them the Women’s Choice Award for ER Wait Time & Efficiency. 

2027 Best Hospitals for Heart Care

The Best Hospitals for Heart Care list is determined by first identifying hospitals across the nation that offer a minimum of six of the following cardiac and/or vascular services:

  • Cardiac Catheter Lab
  • Cardiac Rehabilitation
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Carotid Stenting
  • Coronary Interventions
  • Electrophysiology
  • Vascular Intervention
  • Vascular Surgery
  • Coronary Intensive Care (CCU)

The above cardiovascular services are the most universal clinical procedures that are offered by hospitals. Only qualified hospitals that performed well clinically with regard to heart care measures of mortality and readmission as reported to Medicare, and also have a high Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) recommendation score, are selected. Hospitals that received above the national average (70%) on HCAHPS survey1 along with low mortality and readmission rates that placed them in the top 10% nationally, earned the Women’s Choice Award.

1 Data was used from the April, 2026 CMS data release

2027 Best Hospitals for Advanced Heart Care

The Best Hospitals for Advanced Heart Care list starts from this same foundation: hospitals must offer a minimum of six of the cardiac and/or vascular services listed above, and must place in the top 10% nationally on Medicare-reported heart care mortality and readmission measures, along with an HCAHPS recommendation score above the national average of 70%.

In addition, to earn the Women's Choice Award for Advanced Heart Care, a hospital must also hold an advanced cardiac accreditation from The Joint Commission and/or the American College of Cardiology, reflecting a specialized level of expertise in treating heart attack and heart failure patients beyond the base standard of care. Qualifying accreditations include:

The Joint Commission: Acute Heart Attack Ready, Primary Heart Attack Center, Advanced Comprehensive Heart Attack Center, Comprehensive Cardiac Center, Advanced Heart Failure

American College of Cardiology: Chest Pain Center, Chest Pain Center CAH, Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI & Resuscitation, Heart Failure, Heart Failure with Outpatient Services

2027 Best Hospitals for Hip and Knee Replacement

The methodology for the Women’s Choice Award Best Hospitals for Hip and Knee Replacement award is unique in that it combines HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey1 results and hospital outcomes scores with primary clinical research on Infections, Surgical complications and Readmissions.   To be considered for the award, a hospital must provide Joint Replacement Surgery, and have no “Worse than National Average” measures reported on any of the most recently released Infection and Clinical data reported, and also must have an above National Average score of 70% for the HCAHPS recommendation rating.   Points are awarded for the HCAHPS based on where the hospital falls in ranking (ie: top 50% through the top 10%).   If the hospital offers Robotic Surgery, 2 additional points are received.   The award includes a detailed point system which incorporates the following measures to determine overall total points and qualifications.

  1. Complications for Hip/knee Surgery
  2. Death Rate among seriously treatable complications
  3. Post Operative Wound Dehiscence Rate
  4. Readmission Rate of Hip/Knee replacement Surgery
  5. HRRP Re-Admission standardized rate
  6. Patient Safety 10 Measure composite
  7. Infection data for each of the following: CLABSI, CAUTI, MRSA, C Diff, and Sepsis

Final qualifying hospitals earning over 33 points, fall in the top 10% of all hospitals and earn the Women’s Choice Award - Best Hospital for Hip and Knee Replacement. 

1 Data was used from the April, 2026 CMS data release

2027 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care

The Best Hospitals for Maternity Care (formerly Obstetrics) scoring process is unique in that it is the only national list that is evidence-based and focuses on patient satisfaction. Our awarded hospitals ranked above the national average for patient recommendations (70%+), as indicated by the data reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys.

Recent statistics from the American Pregnancy Association state that women under the age of 35 have a 15% chance to miscarry, whereas women who are 35-45 years have a 20-35% chance of a miscarriage. Many women with high-risk pregnancies may require a higher level of care for their baby after birth. In addition to high patient recommendation ratings, hospitals were rewarded points for having an on-site NICU, with additional points for having a Level III or IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Level III/IV units are designed for babies who require a high level of care, with Level IV centers offering the most comprehensive capabilities for the most complex and critically ill newborns.

Additional points were granted to hospitals designated as Baby-Friendly facilities that have successfully implemented the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, as well as to hospitals recognized under the CMS Birthing-Friendly designation, a federal recognition of hospitals that have adopted structural and procedural best practices for maternal safety. Points were also awarded for Magnet Status, a national recognition of nursing excellence and quality patient care. Finally, hospitals with a high patient safety ranking — based on 12 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' measures of infection and complication rates — received additional points. Hospitals are ranked based on total points earned, and represent the top 10% of hospitals in the Nation.

2027 Best Hospitals for High Risk Pregnancy & Newborn Care

The Best Hospitals for High Risk Pregnancy & Newborn Care award follows this same evidence-based, patient-satisfaction-focused methodology, held to a higher standard. To be considered, hospitals must provide labor & delivery services and rank above an elevated national threshold for patient recommendations (75%+), as reported in HCAHPS surveys — a higher bar than our standard Maternity Care award.

Because high-risk pregnancies often require a higher level of care for the baby after birth, hospitals must also operate a Level III or IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to be considered for this award — a requirement here, rather than a bonus, given the complexity of care these hospitals are being recognized for. Level III/IV units are designed for babies who require a high level of care, with Level IV centers offering the most comprehensive capabilities for the most complex and critically ill newborns. Hospitals must also rank among the top tier nationally on patient safety, based on 12 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' measures of infection and complication rates — again, a higher bar than required for Maternity Care.

Additional points are awarded to hospitals designated as Baby-Friendly facilities, recognized under the CMS Birthing-Friendly designation, recognized with Magnet Status for nursing excellence, and those holding an Advanced Perinatal Care Certification from The Joint Commission, reflecting specialized expertise in managing complex, high-risk pregnancies.

2027 Best Hospitals for Minimally Invasive Surgery

  1. Hospitals must be listed by the American Hospital Directory (AHD.com) as providing Robotic Surgery (which requires more than 10 Medicare claims for computer assisted robotic surgery (ICD 17.41-17.49 and selected CPT codes)).
  2. To earn points, a hospital can meet additional qualifications if they have accreditation from the American Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery (AIMIS), or designation by Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) as a Center of Excellence for Robotic Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery or Minimally Invasive Gynecology.
  3. Hospitals must also have a HCAHPS recommendation rating of 70% or more (i.e. higher than the national average). Hospitals with HCAHPS footnotes (generally for inadequate survey responses or discrepancies) are excluded1.
  4. Each qualifying hospital receives a score that is equal to their recommendation rating plus 2 points for robotic surgery plus 10 points for AIMIS accreditation, SRC Designation, or comparable accreditation.
  5. Any hospital with a "Worse than the national rate" rating from CMS for Deaths from Serious Complications, or Surgical Site Infections - Hysterectomy or Colon Surgery or complication with Knee/Hip Surgery are disqualified from consideration.

1 Data was used from the April, 2026 CMS data release

2027 Best Hospitals for Orthopedics

The Best Hospitals for Orthopedics are hospitals that provide comprehensive orthopedics services, and must offer 5 of the following services: arthroscopy, robotic surgery, joint replacements and spine surgery services, as well as offering onsite MRI and physical therapy. In addition to providing a spectrum of orthopedic services, these full-service hospitals are then judged based on their results through the Hospital Consumer Assessment for Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey1 for patient recommendations and post-operative recovery instructions, measures that are very important to women when choosing a hospital. Both recommendation and recovery ratings must be equal or above the national average in order to qualify (70% and 87% respectively). Only the top 10% hospitals in the nation have been awarded for Best in Orthopedics.

In addition to high recommendation and recovery ratings, hospitals’ surgical event scores were a key factor in earning the Women’s Choice Award. Award recipients are measured on their incidence of surgical complications and infections, including:

  • A wound that splits open after surgery
  • Accidental cuts and tears
  • Deaths from serious treatable complications
  • Rate of complications for knee or hip replacement patients
  • Catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI)
  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections

Hospitals who were rated Worse Than the National Benchmark were disqualified for abnormally high rates of surgical complications and infections.

1 Data was used from the April, 2026 CMS data release

2027 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Experience

The Best Hospitals for Outpatient Experience is predominantly determined on patient satisfaction with a hospital visit. The scoring process is unique in that it is the only national list that focuses on the opinion of females. Over 500 women were initially surveyed to determine which questions in the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Survey (OAS-CAHPS) are most important to them in terms of satisfaction. The most weight is given to the communication and care provided by the healthcare providers and staff, overall facility’s rating, patients’ recommendation and pre- and post-surgical coordination respectively.

The responses to OAS-CAHPS questions are compared to the nation’s average and a ranking is assigned to each hospital based on its overall numeric score in conjunction to the weights obtained from the survey. In addition, only facilities that are accredited can qualify for the award.

To receive the award, hospitals must first be accredited by the Joint Commission (JC), The Healthcare Facilities Outpatient Program (HFAP), Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) or Det Norske Veritas Healthcare (DNV). Accredited facilities are continuously improving the safety and quality of patient care and this certification signifies the facility’s commitment in meeting regulations and best practices for the medical industry.  The categories in the OAS-CAHPS survey are assigned weights based on the feedback received from the Women’s Choice Award Survey.  Only hospitals that achieve rankings higher or equal to the national average in the following are eligible for outpatient experience award.

  1. Communication and care in a professional manner by hospital staff,
  2. Communication on pre- and post-surgical care,
  3. Facility ratings
  4. Thorough preparation of patient for recovery and
  5. Outpatient recommendation ratings above or equal to the national average of 82.

Only the top 10% hospitals in the nation have been awarded the Best in Outpatient Experience.

2027 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience

The 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience scoring process is unique in that it is the only national list that focuses on patient satisfaction and female preferences. The process begins with a survey of hundreds of women. Our survey determines which questions in the HCAHPS* survey1, completed by patients after discharge, are most important to them in determining their satisfaction with their hospital stay. A weight is given to each of the most important questions. For 2027, the most weight is given to those regarding the patient’s willingness to recommend, doctor communications, cleanliness, providing recovery information, explanation of medications, communication by nurses and peacefulness of room at night respectively.

The responses to those questions, weighted accordingly, results in a numeric score for each hospital that reported valid HCAHPS data to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The scoring is totally objective and uniform. The best 100 scores in each of the five hospital bed size categories (25 beds and under, 26-100 beds, 101-250 beds, 251-400 beds, and over 400 beds) determine the recipients of the 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience award. WCA obtains hospital bed count from CMS publicly available data.

For 25 and under Bed category, WCA collects and averages 2 years of data to ensure a more meaningful data set. Additionally, downward trends were noted, eliminating any hospitals that had a downward trend over 10% over the determined period.

*Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems.

1 Data was used from the April, 2026 CMS data release

2027 Best Hospitals for Patient Safety

Adverse events remain widespread in contemporary healthcare, causing substantial and preventable patient harm in hospitals. The Best Hospitals for Patient Safety are hospitals that have a low incidence of problems arising from surgical complications and infections. The hospitals that report the frequency of these adverse surgical events to The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are ranked for each of the following twelve measures:

  1. Deaths among patients with serious treatable complications after surgery,
  2. Collapsed lung due to medical treatment,
  3. In-Hospital Fall With Hip Fracture,
  4. Serious blood clots after surgery,
  5. A wound that splits open after surgery on the abdomen or pelvis,
  6. Accidental cuts and tears from medical treatment,
  7. Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock,
  8. Clostridium difficile (C.diff.) laboratory-identified events (intestinal infections),
  9. Central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI),
  10. Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI),
  11. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) blood laboratory-identified events (bloodstream infections), and
  12. Surgical Site Infection from colon surgery (SSI: Colon).

Hospitals can be eliminated from consideration for the following reasons:

  • Not reporting on at least a total of 6 of the surgical complication measures (1-6) or infection measures (7-12),
  • Having a combined weighted average in the bottom 50% nationally of all the above mentioned surgical complication and infection measures.
  • Having a patient recommendation rating below the national average of 70%.
  • Receiving a CMS rating of “Worse than the U.S. National Rate” for any of the above measures
  • Having an overall patient safety average rank that is not in the Top 15% of national scores

For the remaining hospitals, the Women’s Choice Award averaged their rankings for all the measures (weighted slightly toward surgical errors as a result of a WCA women’s survey).

Only the top 7% of hospitals are recognized for patient safety.

1 Data was used from the April, 2026 CMS data release

2027 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care

The Best Hospitals for Stroke Care are hospitals that hold a Stroke Center Certification, recognizing centers that meet high standards for stroke care as determined by the Joint Commission (JC) and/or Det Norske Veritas (DNV).

Hospitals get credit for their certification on a scale based on the degree of care available to the stroke patient. The following certifications earn credit, from most to least:

  • Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center (JC) or Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification (DNV)
  • Advanced Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center (JC) or DNV Primary Stroke Center Certification Plus
  • Advanced Primary Stroke Center (JC) or DNV Primary Stroke Center Certification
  • Acute Stroke Ready Hospital (JC) or DNV Acute Stroke Ready Certification

To receive Advanced Primary certification, Stroke Centers must meet disease-specific requirements, clinically specific requirements, and expectations which include:

  • Use of a standardized method of delivering care,
  • Support for patient self-management activities,
  • Tailoring of treatment and intervention to individual needs,
  • Promotion of the flow of patient information across settings and providers, while protecting patient rights, security and privacy,
  • Analysis and use of standardized performance measure data to continually improve treatment plans, and
  • Demonstration of their application of and compliance with clinical practice guidelines published by the AHA/ASA or equivalent evidence-based guidelines.

In order to be certified as a Comprehensive Advanced Stroke Center, the center must meet additional requirements. Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Centers have the tools and the expertise to perform mechanical thrombectomy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove a blood clot from an artery. Acute Stroke Ready hospitals are certified to provide immediate care for strokes, including life-saving medications, and then transport the patient to a primary or comprehensive stroke center.

Using data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and hospital certification sites:

  • The hospital must meet the stroke center certification requirement and
  • It cannot have received a rating of ‘Worse than the National Rate’ for the Deaths from Serious Treatable Complications measure.

In addition to the above requirements, hospitals receive points if they maintain a recommendation rating at or better than the national average of 70%, and additional points if they scored in the top 80% nationally for the time from emergency department arrival to head CT scan results.  Only the top 10% of Hospitals have been awarded for Stroke Care. 

1 Data was used from the April, 2026 CMS data release

2027 Best Hospitals for Women’s Services

Hospitals that deliver a spectrum of services that are most important to women for their own health earn this award. 

A hospital earning this award will, at a minimum, offer obstetric services, as that is the most common health reason for women to be hospitalized.  Award recipients will also provide at least six of the following:

  • It will have a breast center, a dedicated department or facility for diagnosis and treatment of the breast, with particular emphasis on early detection of breast cancer.
  • It will be designated a National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC)
  • It will offer additional services for breast health such as: digital mammography, digital MRI, Digital Chemotherapy and radiation services
  • It will have a Level III or IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), for the care and treatment of babies born prematurely or with other medical issues.
  • Because heart disease is a major killer of women, the hospital must qualify as a heart hospital by providing a minimum of 6 of the following cardiovascular services: Cardiac Rehabilitation, Coronary Interventions, Cardiac Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Vascular Intervention, Carotid Stenting, Cardiac Catheter Lab, Electrophysiology, or Coronary Intensive Care (CCU)
  • The hospital has been designated a Center of Excellence (or equivalent) for Minimally Invasive Gynecology through AIMIS, SRC, or comparable accreditation.
  • The hospital holds a Magnet Designation

A hospital can be disqualified if their most recent rating for Surgical Site Infections related to hysterectomies is given a rating of “Worse than the National Rate” by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). All hospitals that meet the above requirements must also meet or exceed the national average (70%) on their Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Services (HCAHPS) survey1 to be considered for the award. Only the top 7% of hospitals are recognized for Women’s Services. 

1 Data was used from the April, 2026 CMS data release

2026 Best Children’s Hospitals

The Best Children’s Hospitals designation is based on publicly available information from children’s hospitals nationwide. Our award criteria evaluate three key areas to determine eligibility for the Women’s Choice Award®:

  1. Clinical Success Data
  2. Safety Scores
  3. Patient Online Reviews

To identify the top-performing children's hospitals, we assess clinical success and safety data across 11 service areas, alongside online hospital reviews from multiple public sources. The weighting of the data is as follows:

  • 60% based on Clinical Success
  • 30% based on Safety Scores
  • 10% based on Patient Online Reviews (including sources like Google, Yelp, Birdseye, Hospital Facebook, and hospital websites)

Any hospital falling below the award threshold was excluded from earning the award.

Our comprehensive assessment evaluates clinical and safety data across the following specialties:

  • Cancer Treatment
  • Heart Care
  • Diabetes Treatment
  • Gastro & GI Surgery & Services
  • Neonatal Services
  • Nephrology
  • Neurology
  • Orthopedics
  • Lung & Pulmonary Care
  • Urology

This rigorous methodology ensures that the Women’s Choice Award® continues to serve as a trusted resource for families, helping them make confident healthcare decisions.

2026 Best Skilled Nursing Facilities Award

Why This Award Matters to Women

Women make the majority of long‑term care placement decisions for their families, often during moments of stress, urgency, and uncertainty. A skilled nursing facility plays a vital role during these transitions—serving not only as a bridge between hospital and home for rehabilitation and recovery, but also as a long‑term care option for older adults who require ongoing support with daily living or complex medical needs. Women consistently tell us they want clear, trustworthy information about safety, staffing, and the overall quality of care, yet the data available to families is often fragmented or difficult to interpret.

The Women’s Choice Award® Best Skilled Nursing Facilities designation was created to give women a simple, reliable way to identify facilities that excel in the measures they value most: strong clinical outcomes, stable staffing, and a proven record of safety and compliance. Our methodology brings these critical indicators together into one transparent, consumer‑friendly score—empowering women to make confident, informed decisions for the people they love.

How We Determine the Best Skilled Nursing Facilities

To determine the Women’s Choice Award for Best Skilled Nursing Facilities, facilities are evaluated using a comprehensive, data-driven methodology that reflects both clinical excellence and the overall quality of care provided to residents.

Our methodology evaluates four core dimensions of quality that directly impact resident safety, well‑being, and long‑term outcomes.

Scoring Methodology

Each Skilled Nursing Facility is evaluated across multiple dimensions, with weighted measures contributing to a final composite score.

  1. Clinical Quality & Safety — 70%

Clinical outcomes are the strongest indicators of resident well‑being, which is why they make up the majority of the score. This category evaluates how effectively a facility prevents avoidable harm, maintains resident function, and delivers safe, high‑quality care.

Measures include:

  • % of residents whose need for daily help increased
  • % of residents whose ability to walk independently worsened
  • % of residents with a catheter inserted and left in the bladder
  • % of residents with urinary tract infections (UTIs)
  • % of residents experiencing a major fall with injury
  • % of residents with pressure ulcers
  • % of residents who lose too much weight
  • % of residents with new or worsened bowel/bladder

These measures reflect real‑world outcomes that matter most to families.

  1. Staffing Adequacy: Nursing Hours & Case Mix — 10%

Staffing plays a critical role in ensuring quality care and positive resident outcomes.  This category evaluates the overall nursing capacity available to meet resident needs, adjusted for acuity.  Determined by Hours per Resident per Day (HPRD) and Case Mix Index, reflecting whether staffing levels are sufficient relative to resident needs

  1. RN Staffing Mix: RN Hours — 10%

Registered nurses play a critical role in clinical oversight, care planning, and safety. Higher RN staffing levels are strongly associated with better outcomes, fewer errors, and improved resident stability.  Evaluates the proportion of care delivered by Registered Nurses, indicating the level of higher-skilled clinical care available to residents

  1. Workforce Stability (Turnover) & Regulatory Compliance & Oversight — 10%

Turnover is a key indicator of organizational health and continuity of care. High turnover can disrupt resident relationships, reduce care consistency, and strain remaining staff.

Measures include: % nurse turnover and % administrator turnover

This category also reflects how well a facility adheres to state and federal safety standards. While regulatory activity varies by state, these indicators provide important insight into a facility’s accountability and operational integrity.

Measures include:

  • Number of facility‑reported incidents
  • Number of fines
  • Number of penalties

Award Determination

Final scores are calculated based on the weighted performance across all measures. Facilities are then ranked nationally, and only those Skilled Nursing Facilities that score within the top 10% in the nation are awarded the Women’s Choice Award for Best Skilled Nursing Facilities.

This recognition signals to women—and to the broader community—that a facility demonstrates excellence in safety, staffing, and clinical quality.

2026 Best Treatment Centers Award

Treatment Center ratings are compiled using publicly available reviews and ratings. To qualify for the Best Treatment Centers award, centers must maintain a consistent rating of 4.0 stars or higher and have a minimum of 20 verified public reviews available for analysis.  The treatment centers must also be licensed within the state in which they are operating.

Our mission is to provide women and families with a trustworthy, transparent, and easy-to-understand resource when evaluating treatment centers. By analyzing publicly available patient experiences and satisfaction data, we aim to highlight facilities that consistently demonstrate high levels of care, service quality, and overall experience.

Disclosure:

The Women’s Choice Award® identifies America’s Best Hospitals & healthcare facilities across our nation based on robust criteria that includes relevant clinical performance, patient satisfaction and appropriate accreditations to help women make smart healthcare choices. Being treated with the proper level of care impacts your health, well-being and healing, so our goal is to simplify your choice by identifying those hospitals that have demonstrated the highest level of quality care to their patients, with a special focus on the female experience.

Our methodology is 100% objective, replicable and uniform. There are no subjective considerations for any of our awards. In arriving at our award determinations, we use the most recent publicly available clinical data from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient satisfaction survey results, relevant accreditation information from appropriate sources and the American Hospital Directory. The Best Children’s Hospitals are based on publicly available information on children’s hospitals across the nation. We arrived at the top children’s hospitals through a weighted point system looking at 4 different areas: Online Reviews, Clinical Success Score, Clinical Safety Score and finally, the extent of Services offered.

Hospitals do not pay a fee to qualify. All qualified hospitals & healthcare facilities are listed on womenschoiceaward.com. Once qualified, hospitals may purchase marketing collateral such as licensed award seal usage, featured enhanced online listings, leadership spotlights or promotional products. The inclusion of a hospital within the WCA Best Hospitals, Imaging Center and Extended/Skilled Nursing/Treatment Care network should not be construed as an endorsement of the hospital/healthcare facility by WomenCertified Inc. or its partners and affiliates and is no guarantee of quality of services provided to patients. These lists should be used as a starting point and be included as part of the decision-making process in choosing a healthcare facility.