Virginia Hospitals Earn “A” Grades for Patient Safety from National Safety Rating Organization

November 6, 2017

New Scores from the Leapfrog Group show 41 Virginia Hospitals Earning “A” Grades, Placing Virginia Among the Top Five States in the Latest Health Care Quality and Patient Safety Rankings from Leapfrog

RICHMOND, VA – Dozens of Virginia hospitals have earned top marks for exceptional patient safety performance in the Fall 2017 Hospital Safety Grade scores from the Leapfrog Group. In all, 41 Virginia hospitals received “A” grades from Leapfrog, a national health care patient safety ranking organization. This latest announcement comes months after the Spring 2017 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade scores showed 35 Virginia hospitals had earned “A” grades. In the current rankings, eight Virginia hospitals were recognized for receiving an “A” grade 12 consecutive times. The new Leapfrog results place Virginia among the top five states with the highest percentage of “A” grade hospitals. And they are another positive reminder of the continuous work being done at Virginia’s community hospitals and health systems to enhance health care quality, safety, service, and value on behalf of patients.

“These strong ranking results are a testament to Virginia hospitals’ commitment to improving health care quality and safety each day,” said Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) President and CEO Sean T. Connaughton. “The Fall 2017 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades’ recognition of 41 Virginia hospitals as ‘A’ grade providers is yet another example of Virginia hospitals’ continuing efforts to improve health care on behalf of the patients who entrust their care to community hospitals and health systems throughout the Commonwealth.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade scores of hospitals and health systems across the Commonwealth of Virginia reflect health care providers’ commitment to excellence in health care quality and patient safety. Through its Center for Healthcare Excellence organization, VHHA is focused on a range of quality and safety improvement initiatives designed to enhance performance, patient experience, and reduce and avoid harm incidents as part of the broader goal of making Virginia the healthiest state in the nation.

That work is already producing positive results. This year, Virginia was ranked in the top 10 among states in an assessment of health care quality based on the latest annual National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (QDR) released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The Commonwealth’s overall ninth place ranking reflects substantial improvement from Virginia’s previous middle-of-the-pack status among states. Also this year, Virginia was ranked first in the nation in reducing early elective deliveries to improve infant health, reflecting a rate reduction from 8 percent to 1.3 percent in recent years.

Under the guidance of the VHHA Board of Directors, the Center for Healthcare Excellence was launched in January 2015 to improve the safety and quality of health care in Virginia by assisting VHHA members in achieving top-tier performance in quality, safety, and service. That work is happening across a number of initiatives including the Hospital Improvement Innovation Networks (HIIN) program, and Patient and Family Experience work, among several active initiatives. VHHA and its members are participating in HIIN to reduce preventable hospital-acquired conditions and readmissions. The HIIN work builds on momentum from the predecessor Hospital Engagement Networks (HEN) initiative that in its second phase resulted in the prevention of 1,851 patient harm incidents at 35 participating hospitals (equivalent to more than $16.5 million in health care costs savings) across the Commonwealth. Another initiative is reflected in the Patient and Family Experience tools recently released to support hospitals and clinical staff in efforts to make patients and their families feel welcome and comfortable as partners in the care and treatment process. These tools, which can be accessed through the revamped Patient and Family Experience page on the VHHA website, include the new Patient and Family Experience Improvement Guide and the Virginia Hospital Patient Experience Data Dashboard.

In addition to pursuing organizational improvement, Virginia’s hospitals have also demonstrated a commitment to transparency by making the Quality and Patient Safety Scorecards tool publicly available online through VHHA’s website. The scorecards measure quality and patient safety performance in Virginia’s hospitals on metrics ranging from health care-associated infections, patient safety, hospital readmission rates, mortality data, patient satisfaction, and the efficiency of Medicare spending per beneficiary. The latest batch of data reflected in the scorecards show statewide improvement across categories.

The Leapfrog program has been assigning letter grades to general acute care hospitals in the U.S. since 2012. Across the country, hospitals have made remarkable strides in improving patient safety. Overall, 41 of 68 Virginia hospitals evaluated by Leapfrog earned “A” grades in the 2017 Fall rankings, placing the Commonwealth fifth among states in the nation. Current “A” rated Virginia hospitals include:

• Augusta Health
• Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center
• Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital
• Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center
• Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center
• Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital
• Carilion New River Valley Medical Center
• CJW Medical Center – Johnston-Willis Campus (HCA Virginia)
• Henrico Doctors’ Hospital (HCA Virginia)
• John Randolph Medical Center (HCA Virginia)
• LewisGale Hospital Alleghany (HCA Virginia)
• LewisGale Medical Center (HCA Virginia)
• Parham Doctors’ Hospital (HCA Virginia)
• Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center (HCA Virginia)
• Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
• Inova Loudoun Hospital
• Inova Mount Vernon Hospital
• Clinch Valley Medical Center (LifePoint Health)
• Fauquier Hospital (a LifePoint Health hospital)
• Twin County Regional Healthcare (Duke LifePoint Healthcare)
• Wythe County Community Hospital (LifePoint Hospitals)
• Johnston Memorial Hospital (Mountain States Health Alliance)
• Norton Community Hospital (Mountain States Health Alliance)
• Smyth County Community Hospital (Mountain States Health Alliance)
• Mary Washington Hospital
• Stafford Hospital (Mary Washington Healthcare)
• Novant Health UVA Health System Culpeper Medical Center
• Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center
• Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg
• Sentara CarePlex Hospital
• Sentara Leigh Hospital
• Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
• Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center
• Sentara Obici Hospital
• Sentara Princess Anne Hospital
• Sentara RMH Medical Center
• Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital
• Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center
• Warren Memorial Hospital (Valley Health)
• Winchester Medical Center (Valley Health)
• Virginia Hospital Center

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 110 hospitals and 29 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to achieve excellence in both health care and health. Its vision is through the power of collaboration to be recognized as a driving force behind making Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Connect with VHHA through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and ISupportVirginiaHospitals.com.

Download the full press release here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Julian Walker
Vice President of Communications
(804) 297-3193 office
(804) 304-7402 mobile
jtwalker@vhha.com