Portsmouth Regional Hospital (PRH) and Parkland Medical Center (PMC) have been recognized with “A” grades in the fall 2015 Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from errors, injuries and infections. This “A” score is the third consecutive “A” for PRH and the second consecutive “A” for PMC.

The hospital safety score is compiled and administered under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group—a leading expert on patient safety.

“This recognition is a reflection of our continued commitment to our patients and all who are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care for those we serve,” said Dean Carucci, chief executive officer, Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

“We are proud to have earned this honor and we strive every day to continue meeting these nationally recognized standards,” stated Chris Accashian, chief executive officer, Parkland Medical Center.

The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the score is free to the public and designed to give consumers information they can use to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay.

“Now that we’ve been collecting national hospital data over several years, we can examine not only how safe a hospital is now, but how consistently it maintains that patient safety focus over time,” said Leah Binder, president of the Leapfrog president and CEO. “With 40 percent of hospitals receiving a C, D or F grade, there is absolutely room for improvement. It’s important for patients to have access to the most in-depth and current data, which is why we offer the Hospital Safety Score twice each year and encourage those planning a hospital visit to check back for the most recent score.”
Developed under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the hospital safety score uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” score representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm.

Of the 2,523 hospitals issued a Hospital Safety Score, 782 earned an A, 719 earned a B, 859 earned a C, 143 earned a D and 20 earned an F. The hospital safety score is fully transparent, with a full analysis of the data and methodology used in determining grades available online.

The hospital safety score is an initiative of The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality and affordability of health care for Americans. For more information, visit www.leapfroggroup.org.