Harrison Memorial Hospital Receives an “A” for Patient Safety in Fall 2018 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade
Harrison Memorial Hospital was awarded an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2018 Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes Harrison Memorial Hospital’s efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States. The Leapfrog Group is a national organization committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.
“Great care begins with safe care, and safe care can only be achieved when the whole organization is focused and committed to it every day with every patient encounter. This commitment begins with the Board of Directors,” says Sheila Currans, HMH Chief Executive Officer. “Over the past several years the resources to invest in patient safety technology has been provided by the board. Computerized physician order entry, bar scanning for medications and decision support tools for the clinical staff are just a few of the tools made available to enhance efforts to be the best we can be at HMH. However, tools are only as good as your staff, and the staff members at HMH, including physicians, nurses, technologists and therapists, have all embraced the belief that we can become error free one day. It is a lofty goal, but one we work toward every day. I am very proud to be a part of that culture at HMH.”
“Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grades recognize hospitals like Harrison Memorial Hospital that focus on advancing patient safety. This ranking provides an important resource for patients, and a benchmark for hospitals, to determine how care at one hospital compares to others in a region,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Hospitals that earn an A Hospital Safety Grade deserve to be recognized for their efforts in preventing medical harm and errors.”
Developed under the guidance of a National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.
Harrison Memorial Hospital was one of 855 across the United States awarded an A in the Fall 2018 update of grades. To see Harrison Memorial Hospital’s full grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.
About Harrison Memorial Hospital
Harrison Memorial Hospital, located in Cynthiana, Kentucky, is a community-owned, not-for-profit, 61-bed hospital that was established in 1906. It offers a full range of services and an exceptional staff. HMH more than 450 outstanding employees, in addition to a 18-member active physician staff and more than 100 physicians on consulting staff. Harrison Memorial is considered by its peers as a progressive entity in rural health.