Blanchard Valley Hospital has been named a recipient of the Healthgrades® 2013 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ by achieving patient safety ratings that are in the top 5% of U.S. hospitals. This means that BVH is an excellent performer in safeguarding patients from serious, potentially preventable complications during their hospital stays. This is the fourth consecutive year BVH has received this award.
The Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award is based on a study released by Healthgrades that analyzed nearly 40 million hospitalization records from approximately 5,000 hospitals nationwide that participate in the Medicare program to determine how each hospital fared in preventing 14 of the most avoidable patient safety events. Through the study, BVH was found to be in the top 5% in the country at preventing these events.
When compared to hospitals performing in the bottom 5% for patient safety, on average, patients treated in Patient Safety Excellence Award hospitals were:
81% less likely to experience hip fracture following surgery compared to hospitals ranked in the bottom 5% in the nation[1]
80% less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital compared to hospitals ranked in the bottom 5% in the nation1
70% less likely to experience a catheter-related bloodstream Infection acquired in the hospital compared to hospitals ranked in the bottom 5% in the nation1
“Healthgrades report highlights the variation in hospital quality, both locally and across the nation, in order to show consumers that spending time on understanding hospital performance can be a matter of life and death,” said Evan Marks, EVP Informatics and Strategy, Healthgrades. “Consumers can be assured that a hospital that has been recognized with a Healthgrades 2013 Patient Safety Excellence Award has demonstrated an established commitment to patient safety.”
To determine each hospital’s 2013 patient safety ranking, Healthgrades evaluates Medicare inpatient data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) database for three years (2009-2011) and uses Patient Safety Indicator software from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to analyze 14 AHRQ Patient Safety Indicators.
13 of the 14 patient safety events analyzed for this award are:
· Death in procedures where mortality is usually very low
· Pressure or bed sores acquired in hospital
· Death following a serious complication after surgery
· Collapsed lung due to procedure or surgery in or around chest
· Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired at hospital
· Hip fracture following surgery
· Excessive bruising or bleeding resulting from procedure or surgery
· Electrolyte and fluid imbalance following surgery
· Respiratory failure following surgery
· Deep blood clots in lungs or legs following surgery
· Blood stream infection following surgery
· Breakdown of abdominal incision site
· Accidental cut, puncture, perforation or hemorrhage during medical care
The fourteenth patient safety indicator (foreign object left in a body during a procedure) is not evaluated as presence of this event is a disqualifier for consideration for the Healthgrades award.
For more information about Healthgrades, to download a full copy of the report or to get information about hospital and physician quality, visit www.healthgrades.com .
