PRESS RELEASE — Lakeland Regional Health Earns Second Consecutive “A” Rating on Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scorecard

Lakeland, FL – Lakeland Regional Health is pleased to announce it has once again earned an “A” rating on the Hospital Safety Scorecard from the Leapfrog Group today. The Leapfrog Group compares more than 2,500 hospitals using extensive reporting criteria for 28 process/structural and outcome measures. Lakeland Regional Health, which also earned an “A” on April’s Scorecard, is one of 773 hospitals receiving an “A” grade in October 2015.

“Being able to sustain our ‘A’ rating demonstrates our team’s continued success in applying evidence-based industry best practices to enhance the safety and wellbeing of our patients and families,” said Timothy J. Regan, MD, Lakeland Regional Health Senior Chief Quality Officer and Senior Chief Medical Informatics Officer.

“We are proud of our physicians and clinicians at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center who work hard to provide a high-quality patient experience,” said Mack Reavis, MD, Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center President and Lakeland Regional Health Chief Medical Officer. “This ‘A’ speaks to our steadfast commitment to safety excellence.”

The Leapfrog “A” grade is one of the most significant honors a hospital can earn. The Hospital Safety Score is considered the gold standard rating for patient safety, and it is one of the most important indicators for patients looking for a safe place to receive care.

Over the last several years, Lakeland Regional Health has:

  • Reduced Ventilator Associated Pneumonia by 99.996%
  • Reduced Adjusted Surgical Site Infection Rate for Hysterectomies by 53%
  • Reduced Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection Rate by 18%
  • Reduced Adjusted Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection Rate by 42%
  • Reduced risk adjusted Patient Safety Indicators occurrences by 6%
  • Reduced risk adjusted complications by 7%

The voluntary, free Leapfrog Group Survey is conducted twice a year by the national not-for-profit organization and is focused on promoting transparency and value-based hospital incentives. The organization is endorsed by the National Quality Forum. The rating signifies how well hospitals protect patients from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. Leapfrog not only uses data from its survey but also from other sources, such as the American Hospital Association and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Though the Leapfrog Group Survey provides a snapshot of care, it is by no means the only source of information available to healthcare consumers.

“Lakeland Regional Health’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 Chief Executive Officer 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 Lakeland Regional Health and all other ‘A’ hospitals to preserve and renew your commitment to safety year after year.”

In July, Lakeland Regional Health was one of just six of the nation’s hospital and healthcare systems to earn Most Wired Advanced™ status from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum and Hospitals & Health Networks® for demonstrating excellent technology capabilities in infrastructure, business and administrative management, clinical quality and safety, and clinical integration. 2,213 hospitals were represented in the 17th annual Most Wired™ Survey.

In addition to being rated highly for its patient care, Lakeland Regional Health has earned several international and national workplace honors in the last 18 months. Lakeland Regional Health recently was named number 28 on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers. Gallup has chosen Lakeland Regional Health in both 2014 and 2015 as one of just 40 or less organizations worldwide to receive its Great Workplace Award. The healthcare system also was featured on the 2015 Becker’s Hospital Review list of “150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare.”

About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national not-for-profit organization driving a movement for quality and safety in American healthcare. The Hospital Survey and the Hospital Safety Score are two of Leapfrog’s big initiatives, collecting and transparently reporting hospital performance and allowing consumers to find the highest-value care and make informed decisions.

 

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