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East County News Service
May 26, 2015 (San Diego)--Alvarado Hospital was awarded the 2015 Patient Safety Excellence Award by Healthgrades in recognition of the hospital’s superior track record for keeping patients safe, as well as the 2015 Distinguished Hospital Award for being among the top 5% in the nation for clinical excellence. This is the second year Alvarado has been ranked among the top 5% for clinical excellence nationally and is the only hospital serving East County to be ranked among the top 5%.
In 2015, there were 467 hospitals across the nation that achieved the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award™. The distinction places this elite group of hospitals within the top percent of all hospitals evaluated for their excellent performance in safeguarding patients from serious, potentially preventable complications during their hospital stays.
From 2011-2013, there were 278,262 potentially preventable patient safety events among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals. If all hospitals—as a group—performed similarly to Patient Safety Excellence award-winning hospitals during those years, approximately 133,896 patient safety events could have been avoided.
Healthgrades also found that Patient Safety Award recipients also performed higher in clinical outcomes than non-recipients for all the conditions and procedures evaluated.
“The physicians and staff of Alvarado Hospital have always placed the safety of patients as a top priority and our success demonstrates that our patients are safer and more likely to have better clinical outcomes,” said Alvarado Administrator Robin Gomez. “Being recognized on a national level means San Diegans now have valuable information to help choose the safest and highest clinical quality hospital for their healthcare needs.”
During this study period, patients treated in hospitals receiving Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average:
• 43.9% less likely to experience an accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• 53.6% less likely to experience a collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• 47.4% less likely to experience catheter-related blood stream infections, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• 43.8% less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals
“We commend all recipients of the Healthgrades 2015 Outstanding Patient Safety Excellence Award. This achievement reflects an organization-wide commitment to delivering high-quality care and to protecting patients from potentially preventable complications,” said Evan Marks, Healthgrades chief strategy officer.
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