Franklin Memorial Hospital Again Awarded “A” Grade by Hospital Safety Score
Reflects hospital’s focus on protecting patients from errors, injuries and infections
An announcement released nationally on Oct. 28 by the independent hospital watchdog The Leapfrog Group, shows key shifts among many hospitals on the A, B, C, D and F grades rating them on errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. Franklin Memorial Hospital earned an “A” in this elite national ratings program, recognizing its strong commitment to patient safety.
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, independent nonprofit. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the Hospital Safety 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 this independent reviewer, along with others including The Joint Commission and the National Quality Measures of Breast Centers Program only strengthens our determination to continue our efforts to excel at all levels of our health delivery system.”
“Franklin Memorial Hospital’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 CEO 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 Franklin Memorial Hospital and all other ‘A’ hospitals to preserve and renew your commitment to safety year after year.”
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 October 2015, with 773 hospitals 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. 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 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 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.
Maine is ranked first nationwide among states, based on the percentage of “A” hospitals they have compared to the total number of hospitals that operate in that state.
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. 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 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. In October 2014, Franklin Memorial Hospital became the thirteenth member of the MaineHealth system