St. Francis Medical Center among top 10% in nation for patient safety
St. Francis Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare, announced today that it has been recognized as a 2024 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient by Healthgrades, the leading resource consumers use to find a hospital or doctor. This achievement, along with St. Francis Medical Center’s accomplishments as one of America’s 100 Best for Prostate Surgery, and a Five-Star Recipient for Transurethral Prostate Resection Surgery, Hip Fracture Treatment and Treatment of Diabetic Emergencies, as ranked by Healthgrades for 2024, reflect St. Francis Medical Center’s commitment to delivering safe, high-quality care.
“St. Francis Medical Center has cultivated an outstanding safety culture that prioritizes the well-being of both patients and staff, setting a high standard for patient safety nationwide,” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer and head of data science at Healthgrades. “We’re proud to recognize St. Francis for providing top-quality care while preventing serious injuries to patients during their hospital stay.”
St. Francis’ upper benchmark for safety is further demonstrated by its earned “A” for patient safety on the Lown Institute Hospitals Index, certification as a Thrombectomy-capable Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, and Stroke Gold Plus Achievement Award by the American Heart Association. Following rigorous surveys, St. Francis also received new and renewed licenses and certifications for specialized services such as Emergency Department obstetrics, pediatrics, and geriatrics, trauma services and stroke care, all of which demand high standards for safety.
“St. Francis Medical Center is committed to continuously elevating our culture of safety,” said Clay Farell, CEO of St. Francis. “It is a philosophy shared by hospital leaders, physicians and staff across all disciplines. Patient safety is at the core of our care. It serves as the foundation for the processes we have in place and the quality, efficiency and patient-centered focus that distinguish our services and care in this community.”
Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted complication and mortality rates for approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide to determine this year’s top-performing hospitals for patient safety. During the 2020-2022 study period, nearly 170,000 potentially preventable safety events occurred among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals, with four patient safety indicators accounting for close to 75% of these incidents.* Healthgrades’ analysis revealed that patients treated in hospitals receiving the 2024 Patient Safety Excellence Award have a significantly lower chance of experiencing one of the four leading safety indicators than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals:
- In-hospital fall resulting in fracture (approximately 52% less likely)
- Collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest (approximately 56% less likely)
- Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital (approximately 67% less likely)
- Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital (approximately 71% less likely)
Where a person is treated matters, which is why Healthgrades is committed to providing the most scientifically accurate information about doctors and hospitals–with data insights not available anywhere else. To learn more about how Healthgrades measures hospital quality, visit healthgrades.com.
*Statistics are calculated from Healthgrades Patient Safety Ratings and Excellence Award methodology which is based primarily on AHRQ technical specifications (Version 2023.0.1) to MedPAR data from approximately 4,500 hospitals for years 2020 through 2022 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.
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