WCA Outpatient

Rockcastle Regional Hospital and Respiratory Care Center has been named one of America’s Best Hospitals for Outpatient Experience by the Women’s Choice Award.

Hospitals aiming to provide the most appropriate and value-based care along with advances in technology, such as minimally invasive techniques, have shifted many patient cases to outpatient settings. As a result, hospitals have made significant strides in providing increased customer service to improve the outpatient experience. 

With women making over 80 percent of family healthcare decisions and considering their demanding lifestyle with over 70 percent of moms employed, the Women’s Choice Award helps women make those decisions by identifying the hospitals that provide the best outpatient experience.

“The best health outcomes are achieved when the highest level of care is provided with a focus on quality, safety, and patient experience,” said Stephen A. Estes, president and CEO of Rockcastle Regional. “Earning this award for yet another service area of our organization is a testament to our dedication to quality care through our values built on patient safety, satisfaction, and healthy outcomes.”

The methodology used to select Rockcastle Regional as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Outpatient Experience is exclusive in that it evaluates patient satisfaction measures with a hospital visit based on criteria in the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Survey (OAS-CAHPS). The evaluation process is the only national list that focuses on the opinion of females. It is the only award recognizing excellence in outpatient satisfaction based on robust criteria that considers the patient experience and clinical excellence.

To receive the award, hospitals must first be accredited by the Joint Commission, The Healthcare Facilities Outpatient Program, or Det Norske Veritas Healthcare. Rockcastle Regional is accredited by the Joint Commission. 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 communication and care by hospital staff, pre- and post-surgical coordination, facility ratings, and patients’ recommendation are eligible for the outpatient experience award.

Rockcastle Regional is one of 624 award recipients in the nation representing the hospitals that have met the highest standards for outpatient experience in the U.S. by the Women’s Choice Award.