Newswise — University of Virginia Medical Center’s bariatric surgery and cancer care programs have earned 2017 national Women’s Choice Awards from WomenCertified Inc. 

The UVA Cancer Center earned its America’s Best Hospitals for Cancer Care award based on criteria that include the availability of comprehensive patient care and research, as well as patient satisfaction. Award-winning hospitals must be accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer and are evaluated based on their patient recommendation rating from the federal Hospital Consumer Assessment for Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. 

“I am pleased to see our team recognized not only for our high-quality care and research, but for providing care that is focused on the patient’s needs,” said Thomas P. Loughran Jr., MD, director of the UVA Cancer Center. 

UVA earned its America’s Best Hospitals for Bariatric Surgery award by meeting criteria that include providing high-quality care and better-than-average patient satisfaction. To earn the award, bariatric surgery programs must be accredited through the national Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program and receive a patient recommendation on the HCAHPS survey that is better than the national average. 

“We are proud to be honored for our efforts to help patients lose weight and live healthier with our comprehensive treatment options and patient-centered approach,” said Peter T. Hallowell, MD, director of UVA’s bariatric surgery program.