Augusta Health received an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits.
The A score was awarded in the latest update to the Hospital Safety Score, the A, B, C, D or F scores assigned to U.S. hospitals based on preventable medical errors, injuries accidents, and infections. The Hospital Safety Score was compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts on patient safety and is designed to give the public information they can use to advocate for themselves and their families.
“At Augusta Health, we work continuously to improve the quality of our care and patient safety, so we are pleased to have our efforts recognized nationally,” said Fred Castello, MD, Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer. “We don’t do the work we do to receive the recognition, though, we do it to provide the best care possible to our community.” Recent patient safety initiatives at Augusta Health include Senior Management Safety Rounds, with vice presidents visiting departments and meeting with staff to discuss any safety issues or concerns, and investigation of ‘near-misses’, when there was no harm but could have been, to reduce the possibility of even a near miss in the future.
“Hospitals like this that earn an A have demonstrated their commitment to their patients and their community,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “I congratulate Augusta Health for its safety excellence, and look forward to the day when all hospitals will match this standard.”
Calculated under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group’s nine-member Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 26 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single score representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from infections, injuries, and medical and medication errors.
Augusta Health is an independent, nonprofit community hospital whose mission is to promote the health and well-being of our community through access to excellent care. Named one of the 100 Top Hospitals in America by Thomson Reuters in both 2011 and 2012, Augusta Health has also been nationally recognized by HealthGrades for clinical excellence and patient safety.
For more information about Augusta Health, its programs or its services, please contact Public Relations at 540.245.7329 or 540.221.7329, or visit our website, www.augustahealth.com.
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Chris Graham
