La Palma, CA (May 8, 2018) – La Palma Intercommunity Hospital announced today that it is a recipient of the Healthgrades 2018 Patient Safety Excellence Award™, a designation that recognizes superior performance of hospitals that have prevented the occurrence of serious, potentially avoidable complications for patients during hospital stays.
La Palma Intercommunity Hospital is among seven prestigious hospitals in Orange County that were recognized for patient safety. La Palma Intercommunity Hospital is a member of Prime Healthcare, and Prime Healthcare has more Patient Safety Excellence Award recipients for three consecutive years (2016-2018) than any other health system in the country.
“We applaud the hospitals who have received the Healthgrades 2018 Patient Safety Excellence Award,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades. “Their dedication and commitment to providing safe care create tangible results for patients.”
The distinction places La Palma Intercommunity Hospital among the top 10 percent of all acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data for its excellent performance as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.
“This achievement highlights the collective effort of our dedicated team’s commitment towards patient care and safety. We understand the critical role patient safety plays in our health systems and we are proud to show the community that their safety is our primary focus,” said Edward Mirzabegian, CEO.
During the 2014 to 2016 study period, Healthgrades found that patients treated in hospitals receiving the Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average:
- 55.6 percent less likely to experience an accidental cut, puncture, perforation, or hemorrhage during medical care, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals
- 52.4 percent 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
- 62.8 percent less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired at the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals
- 54.3 percent less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals
During the study period (2014 to 2016), Healthgrades 2018 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient hospitals demonstrated excellent performance in safety provided for patients in the Medicare population, as measured by objective outcomes (risk-adjusted patient safety indicator rates) for 13 patient safety indicators defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
If all hospitals achieved the average performance of award recipients for each of the 13 Patient Safety Indicators evaluated, during the 2014 to 2016 study period, 126,342 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.
Access the recently released Patient Sentiment Report from Healthgrades and MGMA, which analyzed nearly 7 million online patient reviews and reveals what patients say about their physicians.
About La Palma Intercommunity Hospital
Founded in 1972, La Palma Intercommunity Hospital, a member of Prime Healthcare, is a 140-bed acute-care facility dedicated to providing the community with high-quality, compassionate healthcare. Established as a not-for-profit organization in 2015, La Palma Intercommunity Hospital is the recipient of more than 72 Healthgrades recognitions of excellence in eight areas since 2014. Key services include general medical/surgical inpatient care and treatment, critical care, emergency services, behavioral health, orthopedics, maternity care, and wound care. For more information visit lapalmaintercommunityhospital.com.
Statistics are based on Healthgrades Patient Safety Ratings and Excellence Award methodology, which is primarily constructed using AHRQ Technical Specifications version 5E applied to MedPAR data for years 2014 through 2016 and represents three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.
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About Prime Healthcare
Founded in 2001, Prime Healthcare has emerged as one of the nation’s leading hospital systems. Prime Healthcare was founded by Dr. Prem Reddy, a physician with a mission to save hospitals, improve community healthcare and provide the very best care to patients.
Our philosophy is that all healthcare is local. Each of our hospitals serves the unique needs of their communities while providing exceptional care with the strength and support of Prime Healthcare. Through a physician-directed and patient-centered model, passionate dedication to quality, evidence-based best practices, operational efficiency, technology, and capital investment, our hospitals are recognized among the best in the nation. Prime Healthcare was recognized by Truven Health Analytics as a Top 10 and 15 Health System in the nation three times.