Baptist Health Hospitals Ranked Among Safest in the Nation

Five Baptist Health Hospitals Receive “A” Grades on Leapfrog Group’s Most Recent Hospital Safety Score; Three Baptist Health Hospitals Receive “Straight A’s” for Consistent Performance

All eligible hospitals operated by Baptist Health South Florida have been recognized by a healthcare industry watchdog group for their dedication to patient safety. Baptist Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital each received an “A” grade in the Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2015 Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from preventable medical errors, injuries and infections within the hospital. As a critical-access hospital, Mariners Hospital, which is also operated by Baptist Health, is not eligible to participate in the survey.

Baptist Health is one of the few healthcare systems in the country to have multiple hospitals earn consistent Straight A’s for eight report cards in a row. Baptist Hospital, Doctors Hospital and Homestead Hospital have earned Straight A’s since the spring of 2012, the first time these ratings were released. Only approximately five percent of graded hospitals nationwide have consistently maintained an “A.”

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 Baptist Health team’s commitment to patient safety. “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 assigns A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. For more information about the Hospital Safety Score or to view the list of state rankings, please visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.

About Baptist Health South Florida
Baptist Health is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with seven hospitals (Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital) and more than 30 outpatient and urgent care facilities spanning three counties. The not-for-profit, faith-based Baptist Health has more than 15,000 employees and 2,200 affiliated physicians, and also includes Baptist Health Medical Group, Baptist Outpatient Services and internationally renowned centers of excellence. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities. Baptist Health was listed by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America (#23 in the nation) and has remained on the list for 15 years. It was also recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fifth year in a row by the Ethisphere Institute.

About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. Hospital Safety Score, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.

Georgi Morales Pipkin, Baptist Health South Florida (786) 596-6534; [email protected]