Abbeville General Hospital Excels in Patient Safety by Being Awarded an “A” in Spring 2016 Hospital Safety Score
ABBEVILLE, LOUISIANA, April 26, 2016 – New Hospital Safety Scores, which assign A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide and provide the most complete picture of patient safety in the U.S. health care system, were announced today by The Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety watchdog. Abbeville General Hospital was one of 798 hospitals in the United States to receive an A, ranking among the safest hospitals in the U.S.
According to Lou LeMaire, R.N., Patient Safety Officer at Abbeville General Hospital, “Since 2013, Abbeville General Hospital has earned either an “A” or “B” score for Hospital Safety, with this being the 3rd “A.” After all of our hard work, this year we regained our “A” status. Leadership promotes a culture of safety in caring for our patients and their families. The Safety Score represents how well Abbeville General Hospital prevents infections, the on-going value we place on patient safety, and always striving to meet the highest standards in order to prevent errors. Of the fifty-one hospitals that were graded, only 14 in Louisiana made an “A,” with Abbeville General Hospital being one of two in Acadiana!”
“Avoidable deaths in hospitals should be the number one concern of our health care leaders. Hospitals that earn an ‘A’ from Leapfrog are leaders in saving lives, and we commend them and urge their continued vigilance,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.
Developed under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. For the first time, the Hospital Safety Score includes five measures of patient-reported experience with the hospital as well as two of the most common infections, C.diff and MRSA. To see Abbeville General Hospital’sfull 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. 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.