Nationally Recognized: Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Straight A's 2014 - 2020
West Valley Medical Center has received its 12th consecutive “A” grade in the biannual Hospital Safety Grades published by The Leapfrog Group. Since the first Hospital Safety Grade review in 2012, West Valley has achieved 15 “A” grades — the most of any facility in Idaho.
The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade is a letter grade assigned to all general hospitals across the country and updated every six months, assessing how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harms to patients.
“Now more than ever, those who enter our facility want to feel safe and protected. This ‘A’ Safety Grade is just one more element of comfort for our community in knowing they will receive the highest level of care at West Valley,” said Betsy Hunsicker, West Valley Medical Center Chief Executive Officer. “I congratulate our physicians and staff on this testament to their teamwork, dedication and clinical excellence.”
“As the Nation copes with a challenging pandemic, our gratitude extends to hospital leadership and health care workers everywhere for their tremendous dedication,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We hope this ‘A’ helps to thank the people who work and volunteer for West Valley Medical Center. They are role models in putting patients first, and their service has been extraordinary in our country’s time of need.”
Several initiatives contribute to the high level of patient safety at West Valley, including a multidisciplinary safety committee and a multitude of safety programs aimed at improving patient outcomes as well as enhancing each patient’s personal experience. Additionally, West Valley and HCA Healthcare’s Sepsis Predication and Optimization of Therapy (SPOT) is helping clinicians detect sepsis up to 18 hours sooner. The algorithm-driven, real-time sepsis alert system has been called a “smoke detector for sepsis”.
Another initiative, called enhanced surgical recovery, is helping patients achieve a more successful pre and post-surgical process. The program is aimed at utilizing effective pain management without opioids and reducing length of stay in the hospital for patients as well as potential complications.
Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public. To see West Valley’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org