When your family's health is at stake, is there anything more important than choosing a hospital with a strong record of safety?
The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit that gives hospital patients the information they need to make the most informed decisions, gives hospitals a simple, intuitive grade for overall safety performance.
All seven participating hospitals in AdventHealth's West Florida Division have achieved perfect As, making it the only health care system in the Greater Tampa Bay Area to have each hospital earn top marks.
Many of these AdventHealth facilities have earned A grades for years, such as AdventHealth North Pinellas, which holds the Tampa Bay areas longest A streak at 10 semesters.
Consistent performance in patient safety reflects our culture of putting our patients well-being first, said Dr. Robin McGuinness, Senior Executive Officer of Patient Outcomes in the West Florida Division. Were proud of what these consistent A grades say about the compassion and expertise of our staff.
These ratings are compiled using data from many sources, including the federal agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid as well as surveys from Leapfrog and the American Hospital Association. More than 2,400 hospitals are graded twice each year.
Hospitals are graded based on their ability to prevent injuries, accidents, infections and other harmful events that are still too often a result of medical care.
These safety ratings have two main goals: Give patients the information they need to make informed decisions and further motivate hospitals to minimize preventable harm to their patients.
How are the grades set?
They're based on 27 safety measures that are based on overall quality in four areas: care management for hospital patients, medication safety, maternity care and infections and injuries.
Hospitals must have a minimum amount of safety data before receiving a grade. Hospitals that are missing more than five outcome measures or more than six process measures aren't graded.
AdventHealth facilities that received an A rating include:
- AdventHealth Carrollwood
- AdventHealth Lake Placid
- AdventHealth Sebring
- AdventHealth North Pinellas
- AdventHealth Tampa
- AdventHealth Wesley Chapel
- AdventHealth Zephyrhills
Just as a classroom grade gives parents feedback about their child's academic progress, hospital safety grades are meant to inform patients about the safest place for them and their families.
While were proud of our recognition from a national nonprofit, in the end, were not motivated by a letter grade. Were humbled at the trust patients place in us when they or their loved ones visit an AdventHealth location.
The value at the heart of effective patient safety is simple: Treat people the way wed like our families to be treated. When we do that, safety comes naturally.
To learn more about AdventHealth's Network of Care visit, https://networkofcare.adventhealth.com/west-florida.
