An announcement released nationally today by the independent hospital watchdog The Leapfrog Group, shows key shifts among many hospitals on the A, B, C, D and F grades rating them on errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. Aria Health earned an A in this elite national ratings program, recognizing its strong commitment to patient safety. The Hospital Safety Score is the gold standard rating for patient safety, compiled under the guidance of the nation's leading patient safety experts and administered by The Leapfrog Group, a national, independent nonprofit. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the Hospital Safety Score is free to the public and designed to give consumers information they can use to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay.
"The safety of our patients has always been a top priority at Aria Health, and something we never stop striving to improve," said Kathleen Kinslow, CRNA, EdD, MBA, President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aria Health. "The announcement from the Leapfrog Group of our 'A' score has generated a great deal of excitement and pride throughout our organization. It truly reflects the commitment and support from our Board of Directors, leadership, and staff to provide exceptional care to the people in our communities in a safe environment."
"Aria's A grade is a powerful reminder of its commitment to putting patient safety above all else, and we are pleased to recognize the persistent efforts of your clinicians and staff to protect your patients," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, which administers the Hospital Safety Score. "Our families, neighbors, colleagues and friends deserve a hospital that will pull out all the stops to keep them safe, and we urge Aria and all other A hospitals to preserve and renew your commitment to safety year after year."
Developed 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 U.S. general hospitals were assigned scores in October 2015, with 773 hospitals receiving an A grade. The Hospital Safety Score is fully transparent, offering a full analysis of the data and methodology used in determining grades on the website. Patients can also review their hospital's past safety performance alongside its current grade on the Hospital Safety Score site, allowing them to determine which local hospitals have the best track record in patient safety and which have demonstrated consistent improvement.
