Valley Health Hospitals Earn High Marks for Patient Safety

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012 - Valley Health Hospitals Earn High Marks for Patient Safety

Winchester Medical Center Awarded “A” by Hospital Safety Group

Winchester Medical Center was awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Score today by The Leapfrog Group, a national independent nonprofit focused on hospital transparency. The A, B, C, D and F scores are assigned to U.S. hospitals based on 26 measures of publicly available hospital safety data.

“This recognition is a testament to the quality and dedication of our team at WMC,” said Nicolas Restrepo, MD, WMC Vice President of Medical Affairs. “It recognizes the great work by multidisciplinary teams composed of leadership and front line staff aimed at addressing patient safety issues and eliminating patient harm.”

“Hospitals like this that earn an A have demonstrated their commitment to their patients and their community,” added Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.

WMC is one of 30 hospitals in VA to receive an A . Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal, VA maintained a B Hospital Safety Score, reflecting continued above-average patient safety performance. Valley Health’s remaining four hospitals – Hampshire Memorial Hospital, Page Memorial Hospital, Shenandoah Memorial Hospital and War Memorial Hospital – are designated as Critical Access Hospitals. The LeapFrog Group does not provide safety scores for Critical Access Hospitals.

Hospital data pertaining to preventable medical errors, injuries, accidents and infections were compiled by The LeapFrog Group to produce a single score representing each hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe. Dr. Restrepo is one of a large team of senior leaders at WMC which conducts daily safety rounds throughout the hospital to observe and address safety issues.

“These results highlight the effectiveness of three complimentary patient safety initiatives we’ve put into place during 2012,” noted Restrepo. “Our Safe Walk, Daily Safety Rounds, and Daily Safety Call initiatives require WMC leaders to round on patient units and identify safety issues. Champions are assigned and time frames for resolution are set at the end of rounds each day.”

To see Winchester Medical Center’s scores as they compare nationally and locally, visit the Hospital Safety Score website at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.

Earlier this year Consumer Reports ranked WMC #3 in Virginia for Patient Safety.

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