For the third consecutive evaluation period, Liberty Hospital has been named one of the safest hospitals in the nation. It received an “A” grade for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, a national organization which rates how well hospitals protect patients from preventable medical errors, injuries and infections. Among facilities in the Northland, Liberty Hospital was the only hospital to receive an “A” grade and ranks highest for the third consecutive term.
In a recent news release, hospital President and CEO, Dr. Raghu Adiga, praised hospital staff for the recent honor. “This achievement is only possible with a smart, dedicated workforce, and I am tremendously proud of our team for putting patient safety first,” Dr. Adiga said. “Receiving the highest score three times in a row is something few hospitals can claim, and I commend our team’s outstanding effort to achieve such standards and meet the need for premier healthcare in the Northland.”
Liberty Hospital is committed to promoting a culture of safety through leadership, policy and process changes, training and improvement activities, and making patient safety a priority. Notable examples of efforts undertaken to help achieve the highest levels of safety include increasing critical care physician coverage in the intensive care unit and evaluating all complications to ensure future best outcomes.
Liberty Hospital is one of only 14 hospitals in the state of Missouri to receive an “A” grade. The largest percentage of hospitals nationwide received a “C,” with the second largest group receiving a “B.”
“Efforts by Leapfrog and other agencies such as CMS have helped hospitals nationwide make progress toward reducing adverse events and cultivating a culture of safety,” Dr. Adiga said. During the past two decades, The Leapfrog Group has been committed to making hospitals safe and transparent. This year the organization reported across-the-board improvement in patient safety.
The Hospital Safety Grade is compiled under the guidance of leading experts and administered by The Leapfrog Group, a national, nonprofit hospital safety watchdog. The score is free to the public and designed to give consumers information they can use to inform themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay. More than 2,600 acute-care hospitals nationwide are graded twice each year, and grades are based on the review of 27 measures.
