Leapfrog Group, Joint Commission recognize Overlake Medical Center's efforts to improve patient care

Two leading, national organizations focused on improving safety and quality in America's hospitals have recognized Overlake Medical Center efforts to improve care for patients.

Overlake was honored today with an "A" Hospital Safety Score^SM by The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit organization and advocate for patient safety nationwide. Overlake was the only Eastside hospital to receive Leapfrog's "A" Grade.

In addition, Overlake Medical Center earned "Top Performer on Key Quality Measures" recognition from The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in America. Overlake was one of only 10 in the state of Washington to receive this distinction.

"These prestigious honors are proof that Overlake Medical Center is not only a center for high-quality, life-saving medical care, but one of the safest places to be a patient," said Overlake Medical Center president and CEO Craig Hendrickson. "We are very proud of the recognition that our patients always come first."

Earlier this year, Overlake received Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award. The honor, which Overlake has received six years in a row, places the hospital in the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation for patient safety in 2013.

Overlake the only Eastside hospital to receive Leapfrog's "A" Grade — Leapfrog's fall 2013 Hospital Safety Score assigns A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,500 U.S. general hospitals to show how safe hospitals are for patients. It rates how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections. The Hospital Safety Score is calculated under the guidance of the nation's leading experts on patient safety using 28 measures of publicly-available hospital safety data. The Hospital Safety Score is also the first and only hospital safety rating to be analyzed in the peer-reviewed Journal of Patient Safety. The score is used to help empower patients to make informed decisions about the safety of their hospital care.

According to a study published in September in the Journal of Public Safety, as many as 400,000 deaths are estimated to occur as a result of hospital errors.

"As patients begin to take a more active role in selecting where to receive health care, it has never been more important to focus on hospital safety and transparency. The "A" hospitals, including Overlake, are helping us to raise the standards of health care nationwide," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of Leapfrog. "We offer our congratulations and hope the hospital will continue to strive for an ever-increasing level of excellence in patient safety."

Joint Commission recognizes Overlake's focus on improving patient care — Overlake earned "Top Performer on Key Quality Measures" recognition from The Joint Commission for its exemplary performance in using evidence-based clinical processes to improve patient care for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical patients.

Overlake was one of 1,039 hospitals in the nation, and one of only 10 in the state of Washington, to receive this distinction. The rating is based on an aggregation of accountability measure data reported to the Joint Commission during its most recent full calendar year (2012). To receive this honor, the hospital must score 95 percent or above on the accountability measures. A 95 percent score means a hospital provided evidence-based practice 95 times out of 100 opportunities.

"Overlake Medical Center and all the Top Performer hospitals have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to quality improvement and they should be proud of their achievement," said Mark R. Chassin, MD, president and CEO of The Joint Commission.