Wednesday, December 5, 2012

GRMC Awarded Elite Distinction as a 2012 Leapfrog Top Rural Hospital

The Leapfrog Group’s annual list of Top Hospitals was announced on December 4 in Baltimore, Md., and included Grinnell Regional Medical Center for the second time.  The announcement came at Leapfrog’s Annual Meeting, focusing on transparency as the key to improved hospital safety, and Top Hospital Awards.

“GRMC’s entire staff, physicians, and volunteers can be extremely proud of receiving this designation a second time,” says Suzanne Cooner, GRMC vice-president. “Earning this designation takes a lot of work, follow through, and commitment to our patients. Our culture of safety and the commitment to safe practices earned this award as well as the grade A score by Leapfrog Group, announced last June.”

Cooner, along with Ryan Dahlby Albright, president of the GRMC Medical Staff, and Ed Hatcher, president of the GRMC Board of Directors, received recognition at the reception in Maryland on December 4.

 “Our commitment to patient safety and quality care has always been our priority. The medical teams have implemented standard protocols and processes to ensure patient safety.  This award confirms that the commitment by staff and physicians for consistent safe practices can be measured and that we truly are performing at exceptional standards,” says Dahlby Albright.  

“The GRMC Board of Directors is highly engaged in safety and quality care. They receive continual updates on processes and protocols. We have a very strong board and a board quality subcommittee who hold us accountable according to high standards,” Cooner says. 

“This is truly an award bestowed on GRMC for its exceptional quality, patient outcomes, and efficiency,” says Ed Hatcher, president of the GRMC Board of Directors. “We were selected based on our results from a group that purchases healthcare services. I’m proud to be associated with this excellent hospital. This award confirms my belief and trust in GRMC.”

Grinnell Regional Medical Center was selected as a Top Hospital out of nearly 1,200 hospitals participating in The Leapfrog Group’s annual survey. This year, the Top Rural Hospital list includes a record 13 hospitals.  Additionally, there are 67 Top Urban Hospitals and 12 Top Children’s Hospitals.  Other hospitals reaching this achievement include academic medical centers, teaching hospitals, children’s hospitals, and community hospitals in rural, suburban and urban settings.  The selection is based on the results of the Leapfrog Group’s annual hospital survey, which measures hospitals’ performance on patient safety and quality, focusing on three critical areas of hospital care: how patients fare, resource use, and management structures in place to prevent errors.  The results of the survey are posted on a website (http://www.leapfroggroup.org/cp) open to patients and families, the public, employers, and other purchasers of healthcare. As a 2012 Rural Top Hospital, GRMC met specific criteria and standards for safe, high quality care including earning an A in June on the Hospital Safety score.

About The Leapfrog Group
The Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org) is a national organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality, and affordability of health care for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals. The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 with support from the Business Roundtable and national funders, and is now independently operated with support from its purchaser and other members.

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