Lancaster General Hospital’s dedication to patient safety has earned an “A” grade in the Spring 2016 Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from preventable medical errors, injuries and infections.
The Hospital Safety Score -- the gold standard rating for patient safety -- is 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 score helps patients and families who are facing a hospital stay to easily identify a safe place to receive care.
“Lancaster General Health has no higher priority than providing safe, high-quality healthcare to our patients,” President and CEO Jan Bergen said. “This national distinction for excellence affirms our commitment to our patient safety, as well as the importance of sharing this critical information transparently with all consumers.”
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.
“Avoidable deaths in hospitals should be the No. 1 concern of our healthcare leaders,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Hospitals that earn an ‘A’ from Leapfrog are leaders in saving lives, and we commend them and urge their continued vigilance.”
To see LG Health’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. 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 Lancaster General Health
Lancaster General Health (LG Health), a member of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine), is a 689-licensed bed not-for-profit health system with a comprehensive network of care encompassing Lancaster General Hospital (LGH), Women & Babies Hospital and the Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital (in partnership with Kindred Healthcare). Our membership in Penn Medicine brings together the strengths of a world-renowned, not-for-profit academic medical center and a nationally recognized, not-for-profit community healthcare system.
Outpatient services are provided at the Downtown and Suburban outpatient pavilions, along with additional outpatient centers and Express and Urgent Care locations throughout the region. Lancaster General Health Physicians is a network of nearly 300 primary-care and specialty physicians, at more than 40 offices throughout the region. Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences is a private, co-educational, Middle States-accredited four-year college offering a variety of associate and baccalaureate degree and certification programs in healthcare.
Thrice designated a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence, LGH has been recognized regionally and nationally for clinical excellence and patient safety; and ranked nationally by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s best hospitals in 2015-16 in three specialties.