Source: The News-Enterprise
ISSUE: Hardin Memorial receives A rating for safety
OUR VIEW: Quality care is a challenging standard
While the community discusses Hardin Memorial Health’s pending sale and Hardin Fiscal Court’s May 22 meeting, HMH grabbed another headline deserving of attention.
The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit that evaluates and reports on safety and quality performance of more than 2,600 hospitals nationwide, released its biannual hospital safety grades. For the second consecutive time, HMH received an A.
Little more than a year ago, the hospital was celebrating moving up from a C to B on the same assessment.
This is no mild achievement. Only 10 of the 46 rated hospitals in Kentucky managed an A. HMH was the only one in the Louisville region.
Traditionally, local residents have equated quality care with driving to Jefferson County but this independent assessment challenges that belief.
Baptist Health, which manages HMH and recently complete negotiations to acquire the hospital, has two A-rated hospitals: Baptist Health-Corbin and Baptist Health-Lexington. Three of its hospitals received a B rating and two received a C rating.
Leapfrog evaluates publicly available safety measures from organizations such as the American Hospital Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It considers 27 different quality measures, including inpatient injuries, infections and medical and medication errors.
All of those figures are important to hospital patients and the top score provides independent verification of a quality operation.
“This all equals better patient outcomes and when it comes to this rating, taking even better care of patients is what matters to us,” said Sharon Wright, HMH’s vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer.
It’s also hard to top an A rating. That’s a challenging standard for doctors, nurses, staff and management to maintain.
Regardless of who owns the hospital or what name is on the door, this level of excellence is truly good news.
This editorial reflects a consensus of The News-Enterprise editorial board.
