(Seguin) — GRMC is once again being recognized as a top choice in several healthcare categories. Guadalupe Regional Medical Center has received 2026 Women’s Choice Awards for Obstetrics, Orthopedics, Patient Experience, and Patient Safety.
GRMC Vice President of Quality Rhonda Unruh says the awards reflect the hospital’s overall commitment to excellence in healthcare.
“We’re very proud to have these awards from the Women’s Choice Awards. There’s plenty of research that shows that women are responsible for 90 percent of healthcare decisions made for their families. So seeing that we’ve been given these awards, in light of the fact that Women’s Choice Awards identifies the most relevant factors that are important to women when making healthcare decisions, it’s just very exciting that we’ve received this recognition,” said Unruh.
Each award is based on unique criteria. Unruh says the Obstetrics Award focuses on the total experience for mothers at the hospital.
“With the obstetrics award, they’re looking specifically at infection and complication rates, but related solely to delivering babies. They’re looking at low rates of early elective deliveries — so making sure that when we are delivering moms earlier than expected, it’s only for medical indications, which is a big safety issue in maternity. And then also looking again at patient experience — not only are patients saying, yes, our doctors communicated well, our nurses communicated well, our hospital was a clean and restful environment — but that they would actually recommend us to their friends and family, which is really the most important part of that experience,” said Unruh.
The Orthopedics Award uses a similar methodology. She says the hospital again received high marks for its surgical care.
“So also on orthopedics, again, looking at those rates of complications and infections, because anytime you come in for any type of surgery, you want to know that you’re not going to leave with problems that you didn’t already come in with. So just looking at that high-quality care, and again, looking at — do these patients recommend GRMC for orthopedic care,” said Unruh.
Unruh says the Patient Safety Award looks at the hospital’s overall rate of complications. She says low rates of complications and infections help produce better outcomes for patients.
“The Patient Safety Award is recognizing hospitals that have good outcomes for their patients. So the practices that we put in place — evidence-based practices that we use to take care of patients — help us to provide excellent outcomes. For this award, it’s looking at whether we have low rates of infection and low rates of complications. So when patients come to us for surgical care, are they experiencing complications or things that worsen while they’re here? Or if they’re here for medical care, are they experiencing complications,” said Unruh.
The Patient Experience Award takes a broader look at hospital data. Unruh says GRMC once again scored high in this category.
“The Patient Experience Award looks at all of our patient survey data from both inpatient and outpatient services. It looks at all of the different measures patients are surveyed on, including communication with nurses and doctors, how responsive we are when a patient needs help, explaining medications, providing discharge instructions, and the restfulness of the environment. Then again, it looks at that recommendation — when patients come to us for inpatient or outpatient care, do they have an experience that would make them want to recommend us to their friends and family,” said Unruh.
Unruh says GRMC strives to provide quality care for all patients. She says the entire team is proud to again be recognized with these prestigious awards.
“Each of these awards has a methodology that looks at publicly reported data on not only our clinical performance, but also our patient experience. The dedication of our staff and medical staff really shines in these metrics. We’re very thankful to have such a committed team and to receive these awards,” said Unruh.
While staff members are grateful for the recognition, Unruh says the community should also feel proud knowing quality care is available locally.
“I hope the takeaway for our patients is that GRMC is a place you can trust. It’s a safe place for your healthcare needs. We recognize that when patients seek healthcare, it’s one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. Knowing that you have a healthcare home in Seguin that provides not only quality outcomes, but an excellent experience as well, is really meaningful for the community,” said Unruh.
The Women’s Choice Award for Best Hospitals is considered a trusted referral source and a prestigious credential identifying the nation’s top hospitals based on rigorous criteria, including clinical performance, patient satisfaction, and relevant accreditations. GRMC is now part of a select group of hospitals to receive these honors. Hospitals earning these designations demonstrate a strong commitment to delivering exceptional care and prioritizing the health and well-being of their patients.