Franklin Memorial Hospital Awarded “A” Grade by Hospital Safety Score
Reflects hospital’s focus on protecting patients from errors, injuries and infections
Franklin Memorial Hospital (FMH) was honored with an “A” grade in the fall 2013 update to the Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections. The Hospital Safety Score is compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading experts on patient safety and is administered by The Leapfrog Group (Leapfrog), an independent industry watchdog. The first and only hospital safety rating to be analyzed in the peer-reviewed Journal of Patient Safety, the Score is designed to give the public information they can use to protect themselves and their families.
“We have an organizational effort and commitment to best-practice standards of care with a focus on patient safety and robust clinical information systems aimed at improving patient care,” said Rebecca Arsenault, FMH president. “This first ‘A’ recognition underscores that this hospital is making tremendous strides in providing the highest quality of care to the people of Greater Franklin County. This positive affirmation by an independent reviewer only strengthens our determination to continue our efforts to excel at all levels of our health delivery system.”
To see Franklin Memorial Hospital’s scores as they compare nationally and locally, and to find safety tips for patients and their loved ones, visit the Hospital Safety Score Website at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org. Local hospitals’ scores are also available on the free mobile app, available at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.
Calculated under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” score representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm. More than 2,500 general U.S. hospitals were assigned scores this fall. A full analysis of the data and methodology used is available on the Hospital Safety Score website.
“As patients begin to take a more active role in selecting where to receive health care, it has never been more important to focus on hospital safety and transparency. The ‘A’ hospitals, including Franklin Memorial Hospital, are helping us to raise the standards of health care nationwide,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of Leapfrog. “We offer our congratulations and hope the hospital will continue to strive for an ever-increasing level of excellence in patient safety.”
The Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org) is a national nonprofit organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality and affordability of health care for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals. The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 with support from the Business Roundtable and national funders and is now independently operated with support from its purchaser and other members.
Franklin Memorial Hospital is a nonprofit community hospital whose mission is to provide high-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered health care. The 65-bed hospital is fully qualified and accredited to handle a broad range of medical, surgical, pediatric, women’s care, and diagnostic services. The hospital actively works with the community and with other health care providers to integrate services and ensure the health of people within its service area.