Orlando Health Hospitals Awarded an “A” for Patient Safety
Grade underscores successful efforts to enhance the quality of care delivered across the organization
Orlando, FL (May 1, 2015) – Four Orlando Health hospitals were recently honored with an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. The hospitals are Orlando Regional Medical Center, Health Central Hospital, Dr. P. Phillips Hospital and South Seminole Hospital. South Lake Hospital, in affiliation with Orlando Health, received a “B” score. The scores were awarded based on a number of factors including the hospitals’ adherence to best practices in the process of providing care as well as rates for preventable medical errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. The scores reflect Orlando Health’s commitment to increasing the quality of care it delivers to all its patients.
"One of the most important elements involved in helping us achieve these great results is the development of something we call SAFE teams,” said Thomas Kelley, MD, Interim Chief of Quality and Clinical Transformation for Orlando Health.
SAFE is an acronym for Strategic Action for Excellence. Each Orlando Health hospital has a SAFE team that consists of a physician chief quality officer, a project leader who is typically a clinical professional, and up to a dozen additional team members who may be clinical or non-clinical. The teams use best practices, evidence-based medicine, and a variety of tools and methods to reduce or eliminate conditions or behaviors that could impede patient care. Improvements to change practice patterns in one hospital are shared across all Orlando Health facilities. The result is organization-wide standardization of care, which is good for patients.
“While we are extremely pleased with our grades this rating period, we continue to refine our processes and procedures regularly to further enhance the level of care we provide to our patients,” added Dr. Kelley.
“I am so very proud of our entire team,” said David Strong, president and CEO, Orlando Health, who joined the organization April 9, 2015. “Everyone in the organization has focused their collective and unwavering efforts on achieving the highest quality standards in the care and treatment of every patient who walks through our doors.”
To see how Orlando Health’s Leapfrog scores compare nationally and locally, visit the Hospital Safety Score website at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.
EDITORS NOTE: Pediatric and specialty hospitals such as Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, and UF Health Cancer Center - Orlando Health are not included in Leapfrog’s review.
About Orlando Health
Orlando Health is a $2.1 billion not-for-profit health care organization and a community-based network of physician practices, hospitals, and outpatient care centers throughout Central Florida. The organization is home to the area’s only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics and is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. More than 2,000 physicians have privileges at Orlando Health, which is also one of the area’s largest employers with more than 15,000 employees who serve nearly 2 million Central Florida residents and more than 4,500 international patients annually. Additionally, Orlando Health provides more than $270 million in support of community health needs. More information can be found at www.orlandohealth.com.
