June 7, 2012
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center received the highest patient safety score achievable in rankings released this week for 2,600 U.S. hospitals of all sizes. Ohio State was among about a quarter of the hospitals (729) that received a Hospital Safety Score of ‘A.’
The rankings were calculated by The Leapfrog Group using publicly available data. Slightly less than half of the hospitals (1,243) earned a ‘C’ score or below, according to The Leapfrog Group, the health-care quality watchdog formed more than a decade ago by large employers.
“We have taken a position that each person working at the Medical Center is accountable for ensuring and improving patient safety,” said Dr. Hagop Mekhjian, chief medical officer for Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center. “Approaching this responsibility as a team creates a culture of safety that helps to protect patients from infections, injuries, and medical errors.”
Recognition of Ohio State’s patient safety record by a respected third-party is significant, added Mekhjian. “The rankings help validate our own efforts to improve patient safety and gives consumers another tool for evaluating hospitals for their own medical needs or for those of a family member.”
The Hospital Safety Score website – www.hospitalsafetyscore.org – allows visitors to search hospital scores for free, and also provides information on how the public can protect themselves and loved ones during a hospital stay.
“The Leapfrog Group’s goal is to give patients the vital information they need and deserve before even entering a hospital,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We hope people will use this score to talk with their doctor, make informed decisions about where to seek care, and take the right precautions during a hospital stay.”
The Leapfrog Group’s membership of employers and other purchasers of health benefits, and business coalitions on health across the country, will be working to engage communities, employers, health plans, and hospitals in using the Hospital Safety Score to improve safety. The Hospital Safety Score will be reissued using updated data in November 2012, with an annual Hospital Safety Score to follow in 2013 and beyond.
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