ECMCC Earns Highest Patient Safety Rating in Annual National Survey
ECMC’s commitment to delivering quality patient care supported by leading national survey
ECMCC one of only 14 hospitals out of 139 in New York State to receive ‘A’ Patient Safety Score
BUFFALO, NEW YORK-Erie County Medical Center today announced that The Leapfrog Group, an independent, national not-for-profit organization founded more than a decade ago by the nation’s leading employers and private health care experts, has rated ECMC’s overall patient safety score at ‘A’, which places it among one of only 14 hospitals out of 139 in New York State to receive ‘A’ Patient Safety Score. Nationally, 823 hospitals across the country received such a score. The Leapfrog patient surveys assess: medical errors, accidents, injuries, infections and patient experiences. The national organization is committed to driving quality, safety, and transparency in the U.S. health care system; their annual patient safety surveys assign A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide. ECMC earned an ‘A’ rating by demonstrating, “its commitment to reducing errors, infections, and accidents that can harm patients.”
Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group said, “Hospitals that earn top marks nationally in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade have achieved the highest safety standards in the country. That takes commitment from every member of the hospital staff, who all deserve thanks and congratulations when their hospitals achieve an ‘A’ Safety Grade.
Thomas J. Quatroche, Jr., Ph.D., ECMC President and CEO said, “On behalf of the over 3,000 dedicated and skilled caregivers at ECMC, we are thrilled to receive this exceptional rating from such a respected national organization. This rating confirms what we have worked towards repeatedly in recent years – the quality and compassionate care of our doctors, nurses, clinicians, dieticians, housekeeping, plant operations staff, our ECMC family, have all contributed to making ECMC a hospital of choice for patients seeking our care. The collective commitment of all of our caregivers is what led to this very important national recognition, which highlights ECMC’s success in providing true care.”
Dr. Brian Murray, ECMC Chief Medical Officer said, “ECMC’s patient safety scores have been improving steadily and this score represents the high level of excellence and professionalism our caregivers provide every day to each patient in our care. ECMC’s high standard of care is evident in every service area of the hospital and we take great pride in this type of outside recognition, particularly from such a respected and leading national organization like The Leapfrog Group.”
Karen Ziemianski, MS, RN, ECMC Senior Vice President of Nursing said, “We are very excited and thankful that The Leapfrog Group has bestowed such a high ranking on ECMC, underscoring the unique and strong culture of dedicated caregivers that truly distinguish ECMC. We are committed to treating each patient that comes to us with the highest level of quality care.”
Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
The Leapfrog Group states on its website that they “strive to make giant ‘leaps’ forward in the safety, quality and affordability of health care in the U.S. by promoting transparency through our data collection and public reporting initiatives. The survey is a trusted, transparent and evidence-based national tool in which more than 2,500 hospitals voluntarily participate free of charge.”
Of the 2,639 hospitals issued a Hospital Safety Score nationally, 823 earned an A, 706 earned a B, 933 earned a C, 167 earned a D and 10 earned an F.
ECMC has experienced volume growth across the board in its service areas, along with strong financial performance. 2016 proved to be an incredibly productive year for the hospital. The increased activity across service areas includes: Total Inpatient – 15,007 in 2010 to 18,839 in 2016 or 22.5% growth; Total Surgeries by Service – 11,944 in 2010 to 14,552 in 2016 or 21.8% growth; Total Emergency Department Visits – 58,090 in 2010 to 69,290 in 2016 or 19.3% growth; Total Outpatient Visits – 255,264 in 2010 to 306,564 in 2016 or 20.1% growth; and Average Length of Stay – 8.4 in 2010 to 7.5 in 2016. That service delivery growth and sound financial performance continues through the first three months of 2017.
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 transparency reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, 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.