News, announcements, and vital information for associates, their families, and friends of Kenmore Mercy Hospital. Se pte mb e r 2Ma 0 1 3y/June 2 0 14
Kenmore Mercy Leading Area in Patient Safety; Receives “A” Rating in Leapfrog Report Kenmore Mercy Hospital received the Buffalo area’s only “A” score in the latest Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score report. Lynn Palmatier, Kathy Jendraszek, Mike Wendel, Jamie Billips, and Jennifer Brown are just a few of the staff who contributed to the lab’s successful surveys.
Lab Completes Successful DOH and Joint Commission Surveys Kenmore Mercy Hospital recently underwent a four-day, unannounced laboratory survey by the Department of Health and a two-day survey from the Joint Commission. The hospital has since received notification that it successfully achieved reaccreditations from both groups for another two years. While the surveyors concentrated their inspection on the laboratory, they also reviewed laboratory-related processes in all clinical areas of the hospital, including the Emergency Department, the Surgery Department, inpatient units, and Nuclear Medicine. The surveyors interviewed staff to evaluate how care is delivered at Kenmore Mercy Hospital.
They also reviewed the Laboratory Department’s protocols for patient safety, patient rights and responsibilities, infection prevention, quality control, performance improvement, and documentation, as well as associate education and competency. In addition to the survey conducted at the hospital, the surveyors also inspected the Ken-Ton FamilyCare Center. “We are pleased with the final report and are extremely proud of what our staff continues to accomplish,” said Mike Wendel, manager of Laboratory Services.
The report is designed to rate how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections,. “The Leapfrog report is just one of the many ways we evaluate our quality performance in Catholic Health,” said Joe McDonald, president & CEO of Catholic Health.
“From our Board of Directors to each and every associate working throughout our organization, quality and patient safety remain our top priority.” “We are especially proud of Kenmore Mercy Hospital and all of our physicians and staff throughout Catholic Health for their commitment to provide our patients with the very best care,” McDonald continued.
The Leapfrog Group, an independent healthcare industry watchdog, uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data on patient injuries, medical errors and infection rates to grade hospitals on their overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm.
In the latest report, more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals received an A, B, C, D, or F for their overall safety. Only about 32 percent received an “A” grade.
Mercy Hospital of Buffalo and Sisters of Charity Hospital and its St. Joseph Campus all received “B” ratings.
“Here at Kenmore Mercy Hospital we are focused on patient safety and this ‘A’ rating demonstrates that this is something we prioritize every single day,” said Jim Millard, president & CEO.
“Optimizing patient safety requires the collective efforts of our entire team – physicians, nurses, and all of our support staff working together,” he added.
The Hospital Safety Score is fully transparent, and its website offers a full analysis of the data and methodology used in determining grades. Visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org to see the ratings and compare hospitals.