- Written By:Alex Colley
(Blue Springs, MO, October 31, 2017)– St. Mary’s Medical Center was named among the nation’s safest hospitals this week by The Leapfrog Group, a national non-profit that evaluates hospitals on their quality and safety measures. St. Mary’s Medical Center earned an “A” grade for hospital safety after Leapfrog’s evaluation of more than 2,600 hospitals nationwide.
“This is such an honor,” said Deb Ohnoutka, CEO of St. Mary’s Medical Center. “Every single person at St. Mary’s is committed to creating a safe and positive experience for our patients. Being awarded an ‘A’ grade from The Leapfrog Group is not only evidence of that commitment but also signals to our community that we take the responsibility of protecting them very seriously.”
The Hospital Safety Score measures a hospital’s overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors. The bi-annual evaluation provides data to help patients and their families make informed decisions about their healthcare and choosing a hospital. Developed under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts on patient safety, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score is based on an analysis of 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data, including rates of infections, injuries and errors. Results recognize those hospitals making patient safety and the public reporting of quality and outcome measures a priority.
“It takes consistent, unwavering dedication to patients to achieve the highest standards of patient safety. An ‘A’ Safety Grade recognizes hospitals for this accomplishment,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the clinicians, Board, management and staff of St. Mary’s Medical Center for showing the country what it means to put patient safety first.”
“At St. Mary’s, patient safety is always a top priority,” said Krista Bay, Performance Improvement Manager of St. Mary’s Medical Center. “Having the best technology or expertise in the world doesn’t matter if we aren’t delivering safe and effective care to our patients and loved ones. Receiving an ‘A’ grade reflects the consistent attention we give to patient safety and our mission to deliver compassionate, quality care to our community.”
The Leapfrog Group is one of the many rankings, ratings and scorecards in which St. Mary’s Medical Center participates to measure quality in patient care and patient satisfaction. To learn more on the methodology used in determining grades and to see St. Mary’s Medical Center’s scores, visit the Hospital Safety Score website at www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.
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About St. Mary’s Medical Center:
St. Mary’s Medical Center is a faith-based, 146-bed hospital located in Blue Springs, Missouri, providing a wide range of acute care and outpatient services from state-of-the-art cardiovascular care to a nationally recognized full-service Breast Center. St. Mary’s is a Stroke and Chest Pain Accredited Center and has achieved recognition and accreditations from organizations including The Leapfrog Group, The American Heart Association, The Joint Commission, Women’s Choice Award®, American College of Radiology, and the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. Key services include the St. Mary’s Heart Center, Stroke Center, Breast Center, Wound Center, Joint and Spine Institute and Surgical Institutes, and Inpatient Rehabilitation Center. It is a member of Prime Healthcare, an award-winning national hospital system with 44 acute-care hospitals providing nearly 43,500 jobs in 14 states. For more information, visit stmaryskc.com.