Forrest Health Home Care and Hospice Agencies Earn SHPBest TM “Premier Performer” Patient Experience Awards
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – (August 6, 2025) Two Forrest Health Home Care & Hospice teams were recognized as “Premier Performers” by Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) – Forrest General Home Care of Marion General and Forrest General Hospice.
Marion General Home Care was recognized for achieving an overall patient experience score that placed it in the top 5% of all eligible SHP clients nationwide. The award honors home health agencies that consistently deliver exceptional service and care. Rankings were based on a review of patient experience scores from more than 3,200 home health providers across the country.
With the nation’s largest HHCAHPS benchmark database, SHP is uniquely positioned to identify and recognize organizations that prioritize patient experience — earning top marks on the HHCAHPS survey as a result of their commitment to quality care.
Forrest General Hospice earned an overall caregiver and family experience score that placed it among the top 5% of all eligible SHP clients. This recognition highlights hospice providers who consistently deliver exceptional support and care to patients’ families and caregivers.
This year’s award recipients were selected based on a review and ranking of overall CAHPS Hospice caregiver experience scores from more than 1,800 hospice providers. With one of the nation’s largest CAHPS Hospice benchmarks, SHP is uniquely positioned to recognize organizations that prioritize the experiences of families and caregivers — earning high marks on the CAHPS Hospice survey as a result of their dedication.
Both of these awards were based on numbers for the 2024 calendar year.
“This award is a testament to the outstanding compassion, dedication, and professionalism of our entire Home Care team,” said Leslie Masters, administrator. “Every nurse, therapist, aide, and office staff member plays a vital role in delivering care that meets our patients where they are both physically and emotionally.”
Forrest General Home Care of Marion General credits this achievement to the unified efforts of its staff and their shared commitment to excellence. “We are deeply proud of this recognition, but even more proud of the daily impact we have on the lives of those we serve,” Masters said. “This is what teamwork looks like--putting patients first, working together, and never settling for less than the best.”
“At Hospice, we are honored to be able to serve patients and their families during one of the most difficult times of their lives,” said Kim Helton, executive director of Post Acute Care. “I credit our Hospice team, no matter what role they play, in making this SHP recognition possible. Every member of our team plays a crucial role in the care and well-being of our patients and their families, and their diligence in providing quality support and comfort to the best of their abilities makes this team a success.”
These two awards are a fitting way to commemorate Forrest Health Home Care’s 40th anniversary this year. This recognition also comes on the heels of Forrest Health being recognized in recent Best of the Pine Belt voting with the Best Home Care and Best Hospice awards, as voted on by more than 388,000 Pine Belt residents.
Read more about the SHPBest awards program, including methodology and award recipient lists at https://www.shpdata.com/home-health/shpbest-hhcahps.
About Forrest Health:
Forrest Health is a system of healthcare organizations formed to increase access to quality health care in south Mississippi. Forrest General Hospital is its flagship hospital. In addition to Forrest General, Forrest Health hospitals include: Highland Community Hospital, Picayune; Jefferson Davis Community Hospital & Extended Care Facility, Prentiss; Marion General Hospital, Columbia; Pearl River County Hospital & Nursing Home, Poplarville; Perry County General Hospital, Richton; and Walthall General Hospital, Tylertown. Forrest Health is also home to The Orthopedic Institute and Institute of Neuroscience, both in Hattiesburg, as well as a variety of healthcare clinics throughout its 19-county coverage area.
About Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP)
Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) is a leader in data analytics and benchmarking that drive daily clinical and operational decisions. Our solutions bring real-time data to post-acute providers, hospitals, and ACOs to better coordinate quality care and improve patient outcomes. Since 1996, SHP has helped more than 7,000 organizations nationwide raise the bar for healthcare performance.
