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) has been recognized for its dedication to patient safety by being awarded with an “A” grade in the spring 2015 update to the Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections within the hospital.
This A grade is one of the most meaningful honors a hospital can achieve, and one of the most valuable indicators for patients looking for a safe place to receive care. The Hospital Safety Score is the gold standard rating for patient safety, compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading patient safety experts and administered by The Leapfrog Group, a national, nonprofit hospital safety watchdog. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the Score is free to the public and designed to give consumers information they can use to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay.
“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 third consecutive ‘A’ recognition underscores that this hospital is making tremendous strides in providing the highest quality of care to the residents and visitors 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.”
“Franklin Memorial’s ‘A’ grade validates its achievement in preventing harm within the hospital, and we are proud to recognize the efforts of the care providers and staff,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, which administers the Hospital Safety Score. “Patient safety requires constant vigilance, and we encourage Franklin Memorial Hospital and all other ‘A’ hospitals to continue demonstrating unrelenting commitment to patients by consistently providing a safe environment for care.”
Developed 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 U.S. general hospitals were assigned scores in April 2015, with about 31-percent receiving an A grade. The Hospital Safety Score is fully transparent, offering a full analysis of the data and methodology used in determining grades on the website. Now, for the first time, patients can also review their hospital’s past safety performance alongside its current grade on the Hospital Safety Score site, allowing them to determine which local hospitals have the best track record in patient safety and which have demonstrated consistent improvement.
To see Franklin Memorial’s full score, and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients and loved ones visiting the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org or follow The Hospital Safety Score on Twitter or Facebook. Consumers can also download the free Hospital Safety Score mobile app for Apple and Android devices.
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 Hospital Safety Score, 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 Franklin Memorial Hospital
Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington, Maine, is a progressive, not-for-profit 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. Franklin Memorial Hospital became the thirteenth member of the MaineHealth system, based in Portland, Maine, on October 1, 2014. MaineHealth is a not-for-profit family of leading high-quality providers and other healthcare organizations working together so their communities are the healthiest in America.