Holy Name Medical Center Ranks Among Top Hospitals in US in Patient Safety

On Nov 23, 2015

Holy Name Medical Center was awarded an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group (Leapfrog) in its Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections. More than 2,500 US general hospitals were assigned scores in the fall 2015, with about one-third of hospitals receiving an “A” grade. Of the 66 New Jersey acute care hospitals The Leapfrog Group graded, less than half – only 32 hospitals – earned an A for safety.

“Year in and year out, Leapfrog’s survey results demonstrate Holy Name Medical Center’s commitment to providing the region with the highest standard of patient care by fostering a culture of safety and quality,” said Michael Maron, President/CEO of Holy Name Medical Center. “We credit our outstanding medical, nursing, technical and administrative staff for meeting and exceeding expectations.”

The Hospital Safety Score is compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts on patient safety and is administered by Leapfrog, an independent industry watchdog. The first and only hospital safety rating to be analyzed in the peer-reviewed Journal of Patient Safety, the Score is designed to give the public information they can use to protect themselves and their families. Calculated under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” score representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm.

“We were pleased to be recognized once again for excellence in patient safety,” said Sheryl Slonim, Chief Nursing Officer, Holy Name Medical Center. “We have several ongoing programs in place throughout the hospital which are designed to meet and exceed the National Patient Safety Goals including infection prevention, medication management, and reducing surgical errors.”

Holy Name Medical Center’s has a pro-active, systematic, organization-wide approach to patient safety initiatives. Practices include targeted Performance Improvement (PI) programs developed by an Interdisciplinary Patient Safety Committee, team-led performance improvement interventions that reduce preventable harm to patients, early identification of potential patient risks and hazards on an ongoing basis, and timely interventions aimed at reducing patient safety risk.

“Holy Name Medical Center’s A grade is a powerful reminder of its commitment to putting patient safety above all else, and we are pleased to recognize the persistent efforts of your clinicians and staff to protect your patients,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, which administers the Hospital Safety Score. “Our families, neighbors, colleagues and friends deserve a hospital that will pull out all the stops to keep them safe, and we urge Holy Name and all other A hospitals to preserve and renew your commitment to safety year after year.”

The Hospital Safety Score is fully transparent, and its website offers a full analysis of the data and methodology used in determining grades.

This news release follows a recent announcement that Holy Name Medical Center is among the highest performing hospitals in the nation for treating Medicare patients with high quality, efficient care. Holy Name ranked among the top third of hospitals in the US according to a report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

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