November 4, 2015 - Nacogdoches Medical Center continues to provide quality care to the residents of Deep East Texas and is being recognized as a top performer for their efforts. An announcement released nationally by the independent hospital watchdog The Leapfrog Group revealed that Nacogdoches Medical Center earned an “A” in this elite national ratings program and recognized the hospital for its strong commitment to patient safety on Wednesday, October 28th. This is the most recent accolade received by the hospital in the last 30 days, other awards and accomplishments received include a 4-star rating by CMS HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems), and Commission on Cancer Center accreditation for the Loma Laird Cancer Center at NMC.
Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Score is the gold standard for patient safety, compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading patient safety experts and administered by The Leapfrog Group, a national, independent nonprofit. Only 35% of the more than 2500 hospitals surveyed across the nation received an “A” rating with the Leapfrog group; the designation is an affirmation of the hospital’s internal quality and safety measures implemented since 2013. It comes on the heels of being named 1st within the Tenet Healthcare organization for clinical operations and 3rd for quality of care in 2014. “This level of care is something that we owe to our patients and their loved ones, to our physicians who entrust their patients to us and to our staff in order for them to make meaningful work in their respective profession” added Nacogdoches Medical Center CEO, Gary Stokes.
“Nacogdoches Medical Center’s A grade is a powerful reminder of its commitment to putting patient safety above all else, and we are pleased to recognize the persistent efforts of their physicians and staff to protect patients,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Our families, neighbors, colleagues and friends deserve a hospital that will pull out all the stops to keep them safe, and we urge Nacogdoches Medical Center and all other A hospitals to preserve and renew your commitment to safety year after year.”
“The success that Nacogdoches Medical Center has seen over the course of the last two years, is no accident,” explained Chief Nursing Officer, Mario Estrella. “Hospital leadership, staff and physicians have focused their efforts on improving the quality of care provided. Several strategies have been implemented which combined have been the driver for these honors. Our Intensive Care Unit is led by Dr. Lloyd Whitley as medical director. His leadership and direction drives the coordination of program development and the implementation of evidence based quality guidelines. Additionally, we have Critical Care Certified ICU nurses on every shift. These are experienced nurses who have received additional training in order to provide a higher level of care for our most critically ill patients. A study from 2009 in the American Journal of Critical Care showed that hospitals with a larger percentage of nurses who hold CCRN or FCCS certifications have lower 30-day mortality rates for patients .”
Not only does Nacogdoches Medical Center deliver safe, effective care, they are becoming known for high-quality, patient-centered care. This commitment is reflected, again, in their Medicare HCAHPS Star Rating. The intent of the HCAHPS initiative is to provide a standardized survey instrument and data collection methodology for measuring patients' perspectives on hospital care. While many hospitals have collected information on patient satisfaction, prior to HCAHPS there was no national standard for collecting or publicly reporting patients' perspectives of care information that would enable valid comparisons to be made across all hospitals. Nacogdoches Medical Center received a 4-star rating overall and a 5-star rating for how well physicians communicate with their patients. “With knowledge, comes power and HCAHPS helps patients make an informed choice about where they go to receive medical care,” stated Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Charles Thompson. ”Because of the standardization of this survey, patients can compare our results to any hospital in East Texas, and what they will find is that Nacogdoches Medical Center stands above the rest.”
Nacogdoches Medical Center has established itself as a top performer amongst hospitals across the nation and will continue to provide the quality care that their community has come to expect and deserve. “I am proud of all of our distinguished accomplishments at Nacogdoches Medical Center,” said Stokes. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the leadership, staff and physicians at our hospital that have dedicated their lives to serving others and I am confident that our hospital will continue to deliver the unmatched service, high quality and compassionate care Nacogdoches Medical Center has become known for over the course of many years to come.”
To see Nacogdoches Medical Center’s full score, and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients and loved ones visiting the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org or follow The Hospital Safety Score on Twitter or Facebook. Consumers can also download the free Hospital Safety Score mobile app for Apple and Android devices.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. Hospital Safety Score, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.
