Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Score recognizes dedication to patient safety

Four 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 and West Kendall Baptist Hospital each received an A grade in the Leapfrog Group’s Spring 2015 Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from preventable medical errors, injuries and infections within the hospital.

Baptist, Doctors and Homestead Hospitals also earned Leapfrog’s new “Straight A’s” gold badge for achieving a perfect score during every survey period since the Hospital Safety Score was launched in June 2012.

South Miami Hospital received a B score. As a critical-access hospital, Mariners Hospital is not eligible to participate in the survey.

The Hospital Safety Score assigns A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals, which are evaluated on 28 areas of patient safety including infection rates, surgical outcomes, physician staffing levels in the ICU and standard safety measures such as hand washing. Some 40 percent of hospitals receive a C, D or F grade.

“At a time when more than 1,000 people die every day from preventable accidents in hospitals, Leapfrog believes that patient safety should be Job #1 in every hospital, 24-7,” said Leah Binder, Leapfrog president and chief executive officer. “Baptist Health’s A grades validate its achievement in preventing harm within its hospitals, and we are proud to recognize the efforts of the care providers and staff.”

“These scores are a useful tool for patients to begin a conversation with their doctors when it comes to choosing a hospital for care,” said Brian E. Keeley, president and chief executive officer of Baptist Health South Florida. “Our scores signify our commitment to patients and their safety. And when combined with our recent star rankings in patient satisfaction from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), patients can be confident they are making informed decisions about where to be treated.”

The Hospital Safety Score is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. A full description of the data and methodology used in determining grades is available online at HospitalSafetyScore.org. Visitors to the website can also find informative videos, tips for patients, and a downloadable Hospital Safety Score mobile app for IOS and Android devices.

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. The 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.

Contact: Dori Alvarez; 786-596-3050

Mariners Hospital has been named one of the nation’s top hospitals by the Leapfrog Group, an independent, quality-review organization. This is the third time Leapfrog Group has recognized Mariners as a Top Rural Hospital.

Mariners was one of a group of 94 standout hospitals honored at a recent ceremony in Washington, D.C.  The list included 24 Top Rural Hospitals, 61 Top Urban Hospitals and nine Top Children’s Hospitals.  Mariners Hospital is one of two rural hospitals in the state to make the list.

The Leapfrog Top Hospital distinction, which is given to less than seven percent of all eligible hospitals, recognizes hospitals that deliver the highest quality of care by preventing medical errors, reducing mortality for high-risk procedures and reducing hospital readmissions for patients being treated for conditions such as pneumonia and heart attack.

Selection is based on the results of The Leapfrog Group’s annual hospital survey, which measures hospitals’ performance, focusing on three critical areas of hospital care: how patients fare, resource use and management structures established to prevent errors. The Leapfrog Group describes the Top Hospital designation as the most competitive national hospital quality award in the country.

“The Leapfrog survey is recognized as the gold standard for comparing hospital performance,” said Mariners Hospital CEO Rick Freeburg.  “This award was given to Mariners Hospital in recognition of its exceptional quality, patient outcomes and efficiency.  I am extremely proud of receiving this designation a third time.  Our commitment to patient safety and quality care is our top priority. This award confirms that we truly are performing at exceptional standards.”

“Leapfrog’s Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most prestigious distinctions any hospital can achieve in the United States. It recognizes institutions for their excellence in quality of care and patient safety, as well as their commitment to transparency. By achieving Top Hospital status, Mariners Hospital has proven it’s a premier institution and deserves to be recognized for its dedication to the families and patients in the Upper Keys,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.

The Top Hospital award is not given to a set number of hospitals, but rather, to all urban, rural and children’s hospitals that meet the high standards defined in each year’s Top Hospitals Methodology.

To see the full list of institutions honored as a 2014 Top Hospital, please visit LeapfrogGroup.org/TopHospitals.

Mariners Hospital is part of Baptist Health, the largest healthcare organization in the region. In addition to Mariners Hospital, Baptist Health includes Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital as well as 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 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. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net.

The Leapfrog Group (LeapfrogGroup.org) is a national nonprofit organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of healthcare to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality and affordability of healthcare  for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals. The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 with support from the Business Roundtable and national funders and is now independently operated with support from its purchaser and other members. The Hospital Safety Score (HospitalSafetyScore.org) is an initiative of The Leapfrog Group.

Contact: Sheila Konczewski, 305-434-1020, [email protected]

BaptistHealth.net recognized for providing helpful, user-friendly safety and quality information to consumers

Baptist Health South Florida’s website, BaptistHealth.net, has received a 2013 Hospital Website Transparency Award with Distinction from two national organizations that promote healthcare quality and safety.

The honor recognizes outstanding hospital websites that promote transparency of quality measures in a manner that is helpful, practical and user-friendly for consumers. The Leapfrog Group and URAC (formerly known as the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission) presented the award to Baptist Health and two other hospitals at the Leapfrog Group’s annual meeting in Crystal City, Va., on Dec. 3.

“URAC commends Baptist Health for its true initiative in protecting consumers through transparency and quality reporting,” said Kylanne Green, URAC president and CEO. “We are celebrating these hospitals who exhibit innovations and best practices, and it is encouraging to see these hospitals that are committed to informing, protecting and serving the community.”

“We view our corporate website, BaptistHealth.net, as a critical tool in our delivery of high-quality, compassionate care to the patients and families we serve,” said Thinh H. Tran, M.D., corporate vice president and chief medical and quality officer, Baptist Health South Florida. “When we share detailed information online about our performance, we help consumers make smart decisions about their healthcare and feel comfortable about the trust they place in our professionals.”

The Leapfrog group and URAC developed the Hospital Website Transparency Awards program criteria in accordance with the National Quality Forum’s guidelines for consumer-focused, Internet-based public reporting of health performance data as well as the Model Public Report Elements prepared for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. More information about the awards program can be found at urac.org/education-and-events/conferences-and-awards/hospital-web-site-transparency-awards.

Baptist Health is the largest faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization in the region. It includes Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, South Miami Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, West Kendall Baptist Hospital, Mariners Hospital, Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Baptist Health Medical Group and Baptist Outpatient Services. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities.

About The Leapfrog Group
The Leapfrog Group is a voluntary program aimed at mobilizing employer purchasing power to alert America’s health industry that big leaps in health care safety, quality and customer value will be recognized and rewarded. Leapfrog works with its members to encourage transparency and easy access to healthcare information and to recognize hospitals that have a proven record of high-quality care.

About URAC
URAC is a national accreditation leader, offering over 30 highly regarded healthcare industry accreditation programs that are created and updated by independent, industry-spanning experts to address the latest market trends and needs. For more information, visit urac.org.

Contact: Kathy Barbour, APR; [email protected]; 786-596-6534