Newswise — RIDGEWOOD, NJ. April 7, 2015 — The Valley Hospital announced today that it has achieved two distinctions of quality excellence from Healthgrades – the Healthgrades 2015 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ and the Healthgrades 2015 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™.
Only 93 out of the 3,558 hospitals evaluated for both patient safety and experience excellence had the superior performance to be recipients of both achievements. This places The Valley Hospital among the top 2 percent of all hospitals in the nation for excellent performance in safeguarding patients from serious, potentially preventable complications during their hospital stays, as well as providing a positive experience for patients during their hospital stays.
“I am very proud that Valley has received these recognitions,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System. “We understand that patients today have options when it comes to choosing a healthcare provider and it is our goal to be the hospital of choice for the communities we serve. These recognitions of quality excellence are a wonderful reflection of the standard of care we provide to all our patients and a testament to the priority Valley staff and physicians place on achieving the highest-quality clinical outcomes, while delivering the most compassionate care.”
Patient SafetyOn average, 133,896 patient safety events could have been avoided if all hospitals, as a group from 2011 from 2013, performed similarly to hospitals performing better than expected on each of 13 Patient Safety Indicators evaluated by Healthgrades.
In addition, during this study period, patients treated in hospitals receiving Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average:• 43.9 percent less likely to experience an accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.• 53.6 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.• 47.4 percent less likely to experience catheter-related blood stream infections, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.• 43.8 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 (2011-2013), Healthgrades 2015 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient hospitals performed with excellence in providing safety 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).
Patient ExperienceIn addition to being recognized as one of Healthgrades 2015 Patient Safety Excellence Award, The Valley Hospital also out-performed peer hospitals in patient experience.
Healthgrades evaluated performance by applying a scoring methodology to 10 patient experience measures, using data collected from a 27-question survey of the hospital’s own patients. The survey questions focus on patients’ perspectives of their care in the hospital. Question topics range from cleanliness and noise levels in patient rooms to factors such as pain management and responsiveness to patients’ needs. The measures also include whether a patient would recommend the hospital to friends or family.
“We commend all recipients for their achievements and for demonstrating an organization-wide commitment to delivering high-quality care, protecting patients from potentially preventable complications and ensuring a safe and positive experience for patients,” said Evan Marks, Chief Strategy Officer, Healthgrades.
For more information about Healthgrades or to download a full copy of the report or to receive information about hospital and physician quality, visit: www.Healthgrades.com/quality today.
About The Valley HospitalThe Valley Hospital, a 451-bed, acute care, not-for-profit hospital located in Ridgewood, NJ, is part of Valley Health System, which also includes Valley Home Care and Valley Medical Group. Valley is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. These include 10 consecutive recognitions for service excellence by J.D. Power and Associates for inpatient care, six consecutive awards for patient safety and quality care from the Leapfrog Group, and Gold Seals of Approval from the Joint Commission in 12 clinical areas, including six for cancer care, more than any other hospital in the nation. Valley has also been recognized by Healthgrades as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for joint replacement and orthopedic surgery. Valley has also been honored three times with “Magnet” designation – the nursing profession’s highest honor. Key services include cardiology, oncology, women’s and children’s services, emergency care, orthopedics, and neurosciences. For more information please visit www.ValleyHealth.com.________________________________________ 1.Statistics are based on Healthgrades Patient Safety Ratings and Excellence Award methodology which includes application of AHRQ QI software (Version 4.6A) to MedPAR data for years 2011 through 2013 and represent 3-year estimates for Medicare patients only.
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