Albany Med Healthcare Systems Improve Safety Scores
The Leapfrog Group gave out high grades to both Saratoga Hospital and Glens Falls Hospital for patient safety: Saratoga Hospital earned an ‘A’ and Glens Falls Hospital earned a ‘B’. These grades place both hospitals in the top 25% of New York State facilities for this category! This shows a rising dedication to patient safety, as Glens Falls Hospital had previously received a ‘C’ score in 2019 and 2020 and a ‘B’ score in 2021, while Saratoga Hospital had received ‘C’ scores from 2019 until this most recent evaluation.
The Leapfrog Group created and administers The Leapfrog Group Safety Grades. This system of grades is a national leader and advocate for hospital transparency, and is both independent and not-for-profit. The goal of the Leapfrog Group is to save lives by reducing errors, injuries, accidents, & infections. They gather the relevant data through the Leapfrog Hospital Survey: this survey is trusted and transparent, and it includes 2,300 hospitals that participate voluntarily and free of charge.
“Our Leapfrog score reflects our culture of safety and 24/7 commitment to protecting patients from preventable harm and error” Saratoga Hospital President & CEO Jill J. Vankuren said via press release. “The ‘A’ grade is a tribute to our team and a source of assurance to our patients, who can be confident they’re receiving care at one of New York’s safest hospitals.”
The Leapfrog safety system assigns letter grades twice a year to general hospitals based on over 30 measures of patient safety. 30% of U.S. hospitals earned the highest rating of ‘A’ . 28% earned a ‘B’. Participating in this safety survey gives both Glens Falls Hospital and Saratoga Hospital an opportunity to share best practices for patient safety.
“Quality improvement across the system occurs through collaboration. As we continue to work together, we are seeing many benefits.” Paul Scimeca, President and CEO of Glens Falls Hospital said. “The Albany Med Health System will continually evolve and improve in the future, and we look forward to working even more closely with Albany Medical Center, Columbia Memorial Health and Saratoga Hospital.”
Vankuren emphasized the shared commitment throughout the shared hospitals systems; the commitment to excellent patient care and continuous quality improvement.
“Patient safety is a top priority for the entire system.” she said. “Our goal, through collaboration and sharing of best practices, is for all our hospitals to achieve the highest grade.” The Albany Medical Health System includes: Albany Medical Center, Albany Medical College, Columbia Memorial Health, Glens Falls Hospital, Saratoga Hospital, and The Visiting Nurses.