The Fall 2015 edition of the Hospital Safety Score [1] has awarded all of Baptist Health South Florida’s hospitals in Miami-Dade County a “Straight A.” This Includes Baptist, Doctors, Homestead, South Miami and West Kendall Baptist Hospitals [2]. On a national level, Baptist Health also garnered an “A,” tops among many nationally renowned institutions on the U.S. News Hospital Honor Roll.
Baptist Health joins an elite group of healthcare systems in America to have multiple hospitals earn a consistent “Straight A” for eight reports card in a row. It’s a distinction that dates back to 2012, something only 133 hospitals, (or less than 5 percent nationally), have achieved.
Thinh Tran, M.D., MBA,, corporate vice president and chief medical and quality officer for Baptist Health South Florida, says these scores are a validation of the commitment of the entire Baptist Health team. “It is part of the culture at Baptist Health South Florida to provide the safest care and best outcomes for our patients and that is reflected in these grades,” he said. “It really is a celebration and recognition for our doctors, nurses, staff and the entire health care team. I am very proud of our teams across the system.”
Launched in 2012, the Hospital Safety Score is a public service provided by The Leapfrog Group [3], a nonprofit organization committed to driving quality, safety and transparency in the U.S. health system. The Score measures how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections.
“Consumers are more selective and wiser in making informed decisions about their healthcare; this will help them make an educated decision,” Dr. Tran said. “It is important for healthcare consumers to base their choices on these grades.”
The Hospital Safety Score assigns A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice per year. The grades are available for free to the public at http://www.hospitalsafetyscore.org/ [1]
As a critical-access hospital, Mariners Hospital [2], which is also operated by Baptist Health, is not eligible to participate in the survey.