Emerson Hospital has again been honored with an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. This is the fourth time in a row that Emerson has received the highest score. The results are available to the public and are designed to give consumers information they can use to help decide which hospital to choose for their care and to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay.
The Hospital Safety Score was calculated under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel using publicly available data from more than 2,500 acute care hospitals nationwide on patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections. Hospitals were assigned an A, B, C, D, or F for their overall performance. Only 30% of all hospitals measured received an A grade.
“Throughout our history, patient safety has been our top priority at Emerson,” said Christine Schuster, president and CEO of Emerson Hospital. “We are proud to have once again been recognized for our excellent safety record, affirming our commitment to safety through clinical excellence and compassionate care. We will continue to focus on providing our patients with advanced, high-quality care in an atmosphere of warmth and compassion.”
The latest Hospital Safety Score used 28 evidence-based measures of hospital safety data to produce a single score representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe. Emerson’s A rating reflects a variety of safety measures, including safety during surgeries, protection against infections, appropriate staffing and overall safety procedures. Emerson received 100% for its safety procedures. The average score hospitals received in this area is 67%.
The Hospital Safety Score uses data from the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, in addition to data from other publicly available sources such as the American Hospital Association and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. For more information on the measures included and to download a copy of the methodology, visit http://www.hospitalsafetyscore.org/for-hospitals.
To view Emerson Hospital’s scores as they compare nationally and locally, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.
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The Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org) is a national organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality, and affordability of health care 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.
Emerson Hospital is a multi-site health system headquartered in Concord, Mass., with additional facilities in Sudbury, Groton and Westford. The 179-bed hospital provides advanced medical services to more than 300,000 individuals in 25 towns. To learn more, visit www.emersonhospital.org.
