Karmanos Earns 13th Straight National Award for Cancer Care Excellence

DETROIT, MI – December 29, 2025 – The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has once again solidified its position as a national leader in oncology, earning the 2026 Women's Choice Award® for being one of America's Best Hospitals for Cancer Care. This marks the 13th consecutive year Karmanos has received the honor, placing it in an elite group of institutions recognized since the award's inception. The distinction ranks Karmanos Cancer Hospital among the top 2% of more than 4,600 U.S. hospitals that provide cancer services.

The award is not merely a nod to reputation but a rigorous, data-driven acknowledgment of clinical excellence, superior patient safety records, and a deep-seated commitment to the care women value most. For patients and families navigating the complexities of a cancer diagnosis, such consistent recognition serves as a critical beacon of trust and quality.

A Legacy of Sustained Excellence

Achieving top-tier status for over a decade is a testament to an institution's unwavering focus and foundational culture. For Karmanos, this consistency is built upon a unique model as Michigan's only stand-alone cancer hospital and its long-held designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

"Karmanos' culture is one of serving our patients with respect, integrity and compassion. This recognition reflects the exceptional care that our oncologists and clinical teams provide to our patients," said Brian Gamble, president of Karmanos Cancer Hospital and Cancer Network. "As the only stand-alone cancer hospital in Michigan, and with our National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, we are committed to providing state-of-the-art, compassionate care, and we have a continued dedication to ensuring that our patients are given their best chance."

This long-term success reflects an organizational commitment that transcends yearly performance metrics. It points to a deeply embedded philosophy of continuous improvement in both clinical outcomes and the patient experience, allowing the institute to maintain its leadership position not just in Michigan but across the nation.

The Anatomy of a Top-Tier Award

The Women's Choice Award sets itself apart from other hospital rankings by incorporating criteria that reflect women's healthcare priorities. The methodology is multifaceted, requiring hospitals to first be accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer (ACS CoC), a standard Karmanos easily meets as an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Beyond this foundational accreditation, the award evaluates three critical areas:

1. Patient Safety: A primary focus is placed on hospital-acquired infection rates. Cancer patients, whose immune systems are often compromised by treatments like chemotherapy, are particularly vulnerable. Karmanos's repeated recognition signifies a proven track record of maintaining low infection rates relative to national averages. "Our staff at Karmanos has done a tremendous job in ensuring that safety is a top priority when taking care of our patients and has been consistent in keeping infections related to hospital stays down in every area of care that is involved," added Gamble.

2. Patient Satisfaction: The award heavily weighs patient recommendation ratings from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. Karmanos consistently excels in this area, recently earning a five-star summary rating for patient experience. Data shows Karmanos achieved a 73% patient recommendation rate, well above the national average of 67% required for the award, with particularly high marks for physician and nurse communication.

3. Comprehensive Services: The award assesses the availability of a full range of on-site diagnostic and treatment services. This is a key preference for patients, especially women who often manage treatment alongside family and work responsibilities. Minimizing the need for multiple appointments at different locations is a crucial aspect of patient-centered care. Karmanos, as a comprehensive center, provides integrated and coordinated care across all necessary specialties.

The Power of an NCI Designation

Underpinning Karmanos's clinical prowess is its status as an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a distinction it has held since 1978. This is the highest level of recognition awarded by the NCI and is reserved for institutions at the forefront of cancer research and treatment. For patients, this designation translates into tangible, life-altering benefits.

Studies have shown that patients who begin their treatment at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center experience significantly better survival rates. This is largely due to access to cutting-edge research and a wider array of treatment options. Karmanos, for instance, provides patients with access to more than 250 promising new cancer-specific treatments and clinical trials that are often unavailable at other hospitals. This research-driven environment means that patients are not just receiving the current standard of care—they are receiving tomorrow's standard of care, today.

Furthermore, the NCI designation mandates a multidisciplinary approach. At Karmanos, a team of specialists—including surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists, pathologists, social workers, and nutritionists—collaborates to create a personalized treatment plan for every patient, ensuring all aspects of their health and well-being are addressed.

Why Women's Preferences Matter in Healthcare

The Women's Choice Award's unique focus on female patient preferences highlights a critical shift in how healthcare quality is measured. As women make a majority of healthcare decisions for themselves and their families, their priorities—compassion, communication, and coordinated care—are becoming powerful indicators of a hospital's overall quality.

"The very first step on a cancer journey is knowing where to go for the best care," said Delia Passi, a breast cancer survivor and the founder and CEO of the Women's Choice Award. "We empower women to make confident decisions about where to receive cancer care – for themselves and their loved ones – especially during one of life's most stressful times."

Passi notes that beyond clinical excellence, the award recognizes the delivery of care that women value most. "In addition to high-level performance, our award winners deliver the care women value most—accessible, coordinated and compassionate," she added. This patient-centric viewpoint ensures that the award reflects not just what a hospital can do clinically, but how it feels to be a patient there.

By consistently meeting these rigorous, patient-focused standards for thirteen years, Karmanos Cancer Institute demonstrates that world-class cancer treatment and deeply compassionate care are not mutually exclusive but are, in fact, the essential components of its enduring success.