NEW
BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Saint Peter’s University Hospital has
once again been awarded an “A” grade for quality and safety by The Leapfrog
Group, an independent industry watchdog that rates how well hospitals across
the United States protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and
infections.
The Spring 2014 Hospital Safety Score was compiled under the guidance of the
nation’s leading patient-safety experts. The only hospital safety rating to be
analyzed in the peer-reviewed Journal of Patient Safety, the score gives the
public information they can use to protect themselves and their families.
“Our Leapfrog “A” grade for patient safety is a reflection
of all the best practices provided by everyone who works at Saint Peter’s,”
said Joan Gleason Scott, assistant vice president, quality and safety. “This
measure of excellence represents the commitment we all have to the patients and
families we serve.”
The Leapfrog rating represents excellence in 26 performance measures including:
physician staffing; use of computer physician order entry; teamwork; management
of serious adverse medical events; hand hygiene; medication safety; processes
of care for surgical patients; safety indicators such as low numbers of
bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, patient falls, and
postoperative outcomes.
As patients assume a larger role in choosing where to receive health care, it
has never been more important to focus on hospital safety and transparency,”
said Ronald C. Rak, J.D., president and CEO of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System.
“The ‘A’ hospitals such as Saint Peter’s are helping raise the standards of
health care nationwide and Saint Peter’s is proud to be at the forefront of
that movement.”
To see Saint Peter’s scores as they compare nationally and locally, and to find
safety tips for patients and their loved ones, visit the Hospital Safety Score
website at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.
Local hospitals’ scores are also available on the free mobile app, available at
www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.
Calculated under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue
Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 28 measures of publicly
available hospital safety data to produce a single “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F”
score representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from
preventable harm. More than 2,500 general U.S. hospitals were assigned scores
this fall. A full analysis of the data and methodology
used is available on the Hospital Safety Score website.
About The Leapfrog Group
The Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org)
is a national nonprofit 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.
About Saint Peter’s
University Hospital
Saint
Peter’s University Hospital is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored
by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s is a state-designated
children’s hospital and a regional perinatal center, and is a regional
specialist in geriatrics, oncology, orthopedics, women’s services, and
ambulatory care. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital
provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties,
including pediatric cardiology through its affiliation with The Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in
obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and internal medicine and is an academic
affiliate of Drexel University College of Medicine. Saint Peter’s also sponsors
residency programs in radiology and orthopedic surgery. Visit www.saintpetershcs.com
for more information.