La Palma Intercommunity Hospital in the top 5% in the Nation for Patient Safety
La Palma, CA (June 16, 2020) – La Palma Intercommunity Hospital announced today that it is a recipient of the Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence award. This distinction places La Palma Intercommunity Hospital among the top 5% of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians, and health systems.
La Palma Intercommunity Hospital is a member of Prime Healthcare, which operates 45 hospitals in 14 states. Prime Healthcare has more Patient Safety Excellence Award recipients for five consecutive years (2016-2020) than any other health system in the country, according to Healthgrades.
“Consumers might not know that information around patient safety is readily available and should be considered when researching healthcare options,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades. “We commend the recipients of the 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award for their dedication to providing excellent care for their patients.”
“Patient safety plays a critical role in our operations. As we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to show our community that their safety is and has always been our first priority. This achievement shows the continued commitment and dedication our team holds towards high standards and quality of care,” said Allen Stefanek, CEO of La Palma Intercommunity Hospital.
During the study period (2016 through 2018), Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient hospitals demonstrated excellent performance in safeguarding patients in the Medicare population, as measured by objective outcomes—risk-adjusted patient safety indicator (PSI) rates—for 13 PSIs defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). A 14th PSI included in the evaluation is Foreign Objects Left in Body During a Surgery or Procedure which is a “never” event and does not have an expected rate.
Healthgrades found that patients treated in hospitals receiving the Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average*:
- 48.3% 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.
- 54.4% less likely to experience a hip fracture following surgery, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
- 66.8% less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
- 63% less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired at the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
In addition, if all hospitals in the country performed at the level of award recipients for each of the 13 patient safety indicators, 110,864 patient safety events could have been avoided.*
“Patient Safety is a top priority for us here at La Palma. It is highly emphasized, through education and leadership rounding, to all employees, not just a specific person or particular unit. Our safety awards are a result of the knowledge, teamwork, and dedication of the entire staff,” said Hilda Manzo-Luna, CNO.
View Healthgrades hospital quality methodologies.
*Statistics are calculated from Healthgrades Patient Safety Ratings and Excellence Award methodology which is based primarily on AHRQ technical specifications (Version 2019.0.1) to MedPAR data for years 2016 through 2018 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.
About La Palma Intercommunity Hospital