Posted on

The Valley Hospital Recognized for both Patient Safety and Patient Experience

imgres-4

Among the Top 2 Percent of Hospitals in the Nation

April 7, 2015

RIDGEWOOD, NJ., The Valley Hospital announced today that it has achieved two distinctions of quality excellence from Healthgrades – the Healthgrades 2015 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ and the Healthgrades 2015 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™.

Only 93 out of the 3,558 hospitals evaluated for both patient safety and experience excellence had the superior performance to be recipients of both achievements. This places The Valley Hospital among the top 2 percent of all hospitals in the nation for excellent performance in safeguarding patients from serious, potentially preventable complications during their hospital stays, as well as providing a positive experience for patients during their hospital stays.

“I am very proud that Valley has received these recognitions,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System. “We understand that patients today have options when it comes to choosing a healthcare provider and it is our goal to be the hospital of choice for the communities we serve. These recognitions of quality excellence are a wonderful reflection of the standard of care we provide to all our patients and a testament to the priority Valley staff and physicians place on achieving the highest-quality clinical outcomes, while delivering the most compassionate care.”

Patient Safety
On average, 133,896 patient safety events could have been avoided if all hospitals, as a group from 2011 from 2013, performed similarly to hospitals performing better than expected on each of 13 Patient Safety Indicators evaluated by Healthgrades.

In addition, during this study period, patients treated in hospitals receiving Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average:
• 43.9 percent less likely to experience an accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• 53.6 percent less likely to experience a collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• 47.4 percent less likely to experience catheter-related blood stream infections, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• 43.8 percent less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.

During the study period (2011-2013), Healthgrades 2015 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient hospitals performed with excellence in providing safety for patients in the Medicare population, as measured by objective outcomes (risk-adjusted patient safety indicator rates) for 13 patient safety indicators defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Patient Experience
In addition to being recognized as one of Healthgrades 2015 Patient Safety Excellence Award, The Valley Hospital also out-performed peer hospitals in patient experience.

Healthgrades evaluated performance by applying a scoring methodology to 10 patient experience measures, using data collected from a 27-question survey of the hospital’s own patients. The survey questions focus on patients’ perspectives of their care in the hospital. Question topics range from cleanliness and noise levels in patient rooms to factors such as pain management and responsiveness to patients’ needs. The measures also include whether a patient would recommend the hospital to friends or family.

“We commend all recipients for their achievements and for demonstrating an organization-wide commitment to delivering high-quality care, protecting patients from potentially preventable complications and ensuring a safe and positive experience for patients,” said Evan Marks, Chief Strategy Officer, Healthgrades.

For more information about Healthgrades or to download a full copy of the report or to receive information about hospital and physician quality, visit:www.Healthgrades.com/quality today.

Posted on

The Valley Hospital Recognized for Providing an Outstanding Patient Experience

HG_Outstanding_Patient_Experience_Award_Trophy_Image_2014

The Valley Hospital Recognized for Providing an Outstanding Patient Experience
April 8, 2014

Recognition Places Valley Among Top 10 Percent of U.S. Hospitals

Ridgewood NJ, For the fifth time, The Valley Hospital has been recognized with the Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ (2014, 2011, 2010/2011, 2009/2010, 2009).  This distinction places Valley among the top 10 percent of hospitals in the nation for patient experience. Valley is the only general, acute-care hospital in New Jersey to receive this recognition.

The award recognizes The Valley Hospital for outstanding performance in the delivery of positive experiences for patients during their hospital stay, as measured by Healthgrades, an online resource for information about physicians and hospitals.

Healthgrades evaluated 3,582 hospitals that submitted patient surveys to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, covering admissions from March 2012 through April 2013.  To be eligible for the patient experience award, hospitals had to meet additional clinical quality requirements.  This ensures recipient hospitals are delivering strong outcomes in addition to an excellent patient experience during hospitalization.  Only the top 15 percent of this national group — or 447 hospitals — received the 2014 award.  Valley’s recognition places the hospital in the top 10 percent in the nation.

“We are very pleased to once again receive this recognition,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System.  “I think it’s a wonderful reflection of the standard of care we provide to all our patients and a testament to the priority Valley staff and physicians place on achieving the highest-quality clinical outcomes, while delivering the most compassionate care.”

Healthgrades evaluated Valley’s performance as assessed by the hospital’s patients across 27 different questions that roll up to ten distinct measures.  Ranging from cleanliness and noise levels in a patient room to factors such as pain management and responsiveness to patient’s needs, the measures also include whether a patient would recommend this hospital to friends or family.

“As consumers are becoming more active participants in their healthcare, measured performance surrounding the patient experience at a hospital is an increasingly important consideration for patients in choosing where to receive their care,” said Evan Marks, EVP Informatics and Strategy.  “Consumers can rest assured that those hospitals that have achieved the Healthgrades 2014 Patient Experience Award demonstrate a commitment to exceptional focus on the needs of the patient during their stay at the hospital.”