Newswise — LOS ANGELES (Dec. 2, 2015) – The Leapfrog Group has named Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as a Leapfrog Top Hospital for 2015. The designation is considered one of the hospital industry’s elite benchmarks of patient safety and quality care and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is the only pediatric medical center in Los Angeles County to receive the distinction.
“Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is one of only 12 children’s hospitals in the U.S. to meet The Leapfrog Group’s rigorous standards for this year’s rankings,” says Paul S. Viviano, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “What this distinction affirms is the dedication of our doctors, nurses and team members to providing safe and effective medical care.”
The annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey compares hospital performance around the country and provides a comprehensive picture of how patients fare at individual institutions. In order to receive a Top Hospital designation, a hospital must fully meet Leapfrog’s stringent standards for:• Preventing medication errors, including through electronic physician documentation• ICU nurse and physician staffing levels• High-risk surgery and procedure volume, care and outcomes• Infection prevention• Quality and resource efficiency
“Top Hospitals have lower infection rates, better outcomes, decreased length of stay and fewer readmissions,” says Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “By achieving Top Hospital status, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has proven it prioritizes the safety of its patients, is committed to transparency and provides exemplary care for its families and patients. I congratulate the board, staff, and clinicians of CHLA whose efforts achieved these results.”
In addition, Leapfrog’s panel of experts determined that CHLA excelled in providing specially-trained doctors for ICU patients, use of safe practices like hand-washing and ventilator disinfection and in training both staff and leadership on safe patient practices.
“Quality of care and patient safety is ingrained into our organizational fabric — it is that passion that results in our Leapfrog Top Hospital recognition,” says James E. Stein, MD, Associate Chief of Surgery and Chief Medical Quality Officer at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “We are devoted to our patients and families, and we believe this work takes everyone prioritizing safe patient practices, from our CHLA medical team to the ancillary staff.”
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles was one of 98 total Top Hospitals recognized by The Leapfrog Group this year, only 12 of which were children’s hospitals. This is the fifth time in six years CHLA has been named to the list, chosen from 1,633 hospitals that participated in 2015.
The Leapfrog Hospital Survey is the only nationally standardized and endorsed set of measures that captures hospital performance in patient safety, quality and resource utilization. For 15 years, the survey has provided benchmarks relevant to consumers and purchasers of care, while participating hospitals have achieved improvements that translate into millions of lives and dollars saved.
The Leapfrog Group is a national organization and a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage founded in 2000 to work for improvements in health care safety, quality and affordability. Initially organized by the Business Roundtable, it is now an independent advocacy group working with a broad range of partners, including hospitals and insurers. The annual survey, launched in 2001, is the only voluntary effort of its kind.
The annual class of Top Hospitals was announced at The Leapfrog Group’s annual meeting in Washington, DC. A complete list of 2015 Leapfrog Top Hospitals and the survey results for all participating hospitals are posted on www.leapfroggroup.org/TopHospitals. The site is open to patients and families, the public, and employers and other purchasers of health care.
About Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the top 10 in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. Children’s Hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
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