Methodist recognized for ‘Straight A’ status in hospital safety

 

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge has continued its “Straight A” recognition in hospital safety scores that were launched four years ago. MMC has never received a grade lower than “A” since the The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Scores started in June 2012, a press release said.

Also receiving “A” grades in the Spring 2016 scores were Fort Loudoun Medical Center, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, LeConte Medical Center, and Roane Medical Center. The ranking mean the hospitals are among the safest in the United States, a press release said.

“It is gratifying to be a part of an organization with such a long-standing track record of quality,” said Jeremy Biggs, Methodist Medical Center president and chief administrative officer. “To be among such an elite group of hospitals to have received this type of national recognition and validation is truly an honor.”

“Patient safety and a constant focus on the quality of care we provide are top priorities for Covenant Health,” said Mike Belbeck, executive vice president of operations. “We are pleased that five Covenant hospitals received Leapfrog’s highest scores, and we will continue to focus on patient safety as part of our ongoing commitment to excellence in all aspects of patient care.”

“Hospitals that earn an ‘A’ from Leapfrog are leaders in saving lives, and we commend them and urge their continued vigilance,” said Leah Binder, president and chief executive officer of The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization focused on the quality and safety of American health care. The group’s Hospital Safety Score assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, to give consumers information they can use to protect themselves from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.

Developed under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D, and F grades to more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice per year. Scores are calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. For the first time, the Hospital Safety Score includes five measures of patient-reported experience with hospitals as well as information about two of the most common infections, C. diff and MRSA.

“The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scores are one of many measurement tools that give us useful information about our hospitals’ performance. Along with other publicly available reports, these tools can offer patients and consumers helpful information related to hospital care,” said Jim VanderSteeg, Covenant Health president and CEO.

To see the full scores and to access consumer-friendly tips related to hospital safety, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org. Consumers can also follow The Hospital Safety Score on social media and download the free Hospital Safety Score app for mobile devices.

This press release was submitted by Kelly Goodman of Methodist Medical Center.

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