Fifteen hospitals in New Jersey earned the 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award from Healthgrades, a resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.
The distinction places them among the Top 10% of hospitals in the nation for patient safety, which is measured by how well a hospital prevents injuries, infections and other serious conditions based on 14 serious, yet potentially preventable adverse events.
As hospitals resume back to normal amid COVID-19 related restrictions being lifted, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of how important quality of care is. Healthgrades found in a COVID-19 Patient Confidence Study that consumers are 65% more likely than they were before the coronavirus to pick a hospital based on the quality of care they will get over other factors, like traveling.
“We’re seeing an important shift in consumer behavior, as healthcare quality remains in the national spotlight as the country reemerges from the coronavirus pandemic,” Brad Bowman, chief medical officer, Healthgrades, said. “We applaud and are grateful for these hospitals around the country that are working so hard and are committed to providing the care and best experience for their patients.”
Here are the hospitals from New Jersey out of 456 total hospitals:
- Chilton Medical Center, Pompton Plains;
- Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville;
- Cooper University Hospital, Camden;
- East Orange General Hospital, East Orange;
- Hackensack Meridian Health Bayshore Medical Center, Holmdel;
- HMH Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune;
- Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark;
- Ocean Medical Center, Brick;
- Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank;
- Saint Clare’s Hospital/Denville, Denville;
- Saint Clare’s Hospital at Sussex, Sussex;
- Saint Clare’s Hospital/Dover General, Dover;
- St. Luke’s Warren Hospital, Phillipsburg;
- Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Newark;
- St. Mary’s General Hospital, Passaic.
“As a leading academic health system in the region, our patients have come to expect safe and effective health care from our of dedicated doctors, advanced practice providers, nurses, techs, and support staff and this award helps to reinforce the level of trust our patients place in our team at Cooper,” Anthony J. Mazzarelli, co-CEO of Cooper, said.
Healthgrades found that patients treated in hospitals with the Patient Safety Excellence Award when compared to those treated at non-recipient hospitals were on average:
- 48.3% less likely to experience a collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest;
- 54.4% less likely to experience a hip fracture following surgery;
- 66.8% less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital;
- 63% less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired at the hospital.
In addition, 110,864 patient safety events could have been avoided if all hospitals in the country performed at the level of the award recipients, Healthgrades said.
“Consumers might not know that information around patient safety is readily available and should be considered when researching health care options,” Bowman said. “We commend the recipients of the 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award for their dedication to providing excellent care for their patients.”
