Women’s Choice Award® Announces 2017 America’

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 10, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Women’s Choice Award® , America’s trusted referral source for the best in healthcare, has announced its 2017 America’s Best Breast Centers in honor of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This evidence-based designation is the only breast center award that identifies the country’s best healthcare institutions based on robust criteria that consider female patient satisfaction and clinical excellence.

The awards provide women with the tools to find quality care at a time when new research demonstrates the importance of early detection.  If women began breast cancer screening at 40 and received mammograms yearly, fewer would die from the disease than if they had started regular screening at a later age and screened less often, according to a new study in the journal Cancer.

“Early detection and quality care go hand-in-hand when it comes to breast cancer,” said Delia Passi, founder and CEO of the Women’s Choice Award and a breast cancer survivor.  She knows from experience.  As a victim of poor imaging, Passi’s breast cancer was missed, causing her to suffer through a surgical biopsy and two lumpectomies, until she finally had a mastectomy in 2003 at the age of 42. 

“We created the America’s Best Breast Centers Award to empower women to make smart decisions for their breast care, from their very first screening to treatment if cancer is found,” said Passi.  “Based on my own unfortunate experience, I know the importance of choosing an accredited center with top quality care to give women the greatest chance for a positive outcome.”

The list of 368 award winners represents breast centers that have met the high standards of the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) and carry the Breast Imaging Center of Excellence (BICOE) seal from the American College of Radiology. Those breast centers associated with a hospital must receive a rating in the top 75% for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) patient recommendation measures, or their equivalent in the case of breast centers without hospital affiliation.

“The Women’s Choice Award is a valuable tool directing women to competent Breast Centers that meet a high standard of quality breast care that benefits patients” said Cary Kaufman M.D., FACS. “As the former chair of the NAPBC, I support their mission to drive awareness for better breast care and encourage all hospitals to strive to become an America’s Best Breast Center.”

The following hospitals have partnered with the Women’s Choice Award in empowering women and their families to make the best healthcare choices:

Bellingham Regional Breast Center, Bellingham, WA Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell, Pennington, NJ Franciscan Health, Indianapolis, IN  Franciscan Saint Margaret Health - Dyer Campus, Dyer, IN Greenwich Hospital, Greenwich, CT Hunterdon Healthcare, Flemington, NJ Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center, Mercy Health Youngstown, Youngstown, OH Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center, Baldwin Park, CA Kaiser Permanente San Rafael Medical Center, San Rafael, CA Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center, Santa Rosa, CA Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center, Woodland Hills, CA Little Company of Mary’s Nationally Accredited Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Evergreen Park, IL Lovelace Women's Hospital, Albuquerque, NM MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, Baltimore, MD Mobile Infirmary, Mobile, AL Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, NJ Northwest Indiana Breast Health Centers at Methodist Hospitals, Merrillville, IN Overlook, Summit, NJ Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, CT  Saint Mary's Health Network, Reno, NV  Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital, Tucson, AZ Saint Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ Sky Ridge Medical Center, Lone Tree, CO St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Edgewood, KY St. John Riverside Hospital, Yonkers, NY St. Jude Medical Center, Fullerton, CA St. Luke's Hospital, Chesterfield, MO The Breast Center at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, Chesapeake, VA The Jacqueline M. Wilentz Comprehensive Breast Center at Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ The Women’s Hospital, Newburgh, IN Valley Health System, Ridgewood, NJ Williamson Medical Center, Franklin, TN

For a complete listing of the 2017 America’s Best Breast Centers visit https://www.womenschoiceaward.com/awarded/bes...t-centers/

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 was recently honored by the INC 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies in 2017 for a third consecutive year. Visit http://www.womenschoiceaward.com/ to learn more. 

The information contained in this release is not permitted to be used in a non-press related context without the express prior written consent of the Women’s Choice Award.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ruth Castillo 954-922-0846