Ashtabula County Medical Center | ACMC Pulse | Summer 2019

Hospital News ACMC Pulse • Anniversary Issue • acmchealth.org 3 ASHTABULA COUNTY Medical Center was awarded an “A” from The Leapfrog Group’s spring 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes ACMC’s efforts in protecting patients from harm and providing safer healthcare. “The ‘A’ rating by The Leapfrog Group—an independent company that rates hospitals across the U.S.—reinforces what we’ve always believed: ACMC is one of the safest hospitals in the country,” said ACMC Healthcare System President and CEO Michael Habowski. “When patients come to ACMC, they are cared for by a team of caregivers who adhere to the highest standards of patient safety.” The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization committed to improving healthcare quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care. Dedicated caregivers The Leapfrog grade is not a reflection of one year. Before awarding a grade, the organization reviews up to three years of outcome-based data to demonstrate a hospital’s pattern of safety. “The dedication of our caregivers has reduced the number of patient falls, lowered infection rates and decreased the number of bed sores,” Habowski said. “We’ve also improved communication about medications and discharge, enhanced communication with doctors and nurses, and increased the responsiveness of staff.” One example of reduced infection rates is the number of central-line infections. ACMC has not had a central-line blood infection since December 2010. “To be recognized nationally as an ‘A’ hospital is an accomplishment the whole community should take pride in,” said Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Hospitals that earn an ‘A’ grade are making it a priority to protect patients from preventable medical harm and error. We congratulate hospital leaders, board members, staff, volunteers and clinicians who work so hard to earn this ‘A.’” Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute- care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public. About The Leapfrog Group Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American healthcare. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. ACMC receives an ‘A’ for patient safety SAFETY FIRST To see ACMC’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org . Follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.