For immediate release: May 22, 2012
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Americans have known since an Institute of Medicine report in 1999 that, in every hospital in America, there is the potential for error that can cause harm and even death. The chances are far lower at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, which HealthGrades® has ranked in the top 5 percent of all U.S. hospitals in patient safety. For the fourth consecutive year.
Cooley is one of only four hospitals in Massachusetts and 66 facilities nationwide to achieve the HealthGrades Patient Safety Excellence Award™ for 2009–2012; no other hospital in the Springfield area has this four-year track record of distinction in patient safety.
HealthGrades uses the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s 13 patient safety indicators — incidents such as bloodstream infections after surgery — to determine the top 5 percent in the nation. Hospitals that perform best focus on providing consistent, safe, and effective medical care, HealthGrades reports.
“It is because our doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and staff take the steps necessary to ensure that our patients receive safe, high-quality care that Cooley Dickinson achieved this recognition for a fourth year,” said Craig Melin, president and CEO. “This award is validation from an independent authority that our staff is continuously focused on improving quality of care.
“Ultimately, our patients benefit most from our safety efforts, because they are less likely to experience complications or worse at Cooley Dickinson,” he added.
HealthGrades® is the leading U.S. provider of information to help consumers make informed decisions about hospitals and physicians. In October, it ranked Cooley Dickinson No. 1 in Massachusetts for total knee and hip replacement surgery outcomes.
HealthGrades reviews the performance of every hospital in America and reports the performance at healthgrades.com. Hospitals can’t opt in or out of being rated. See Cooley Dickinson’s patient safety ratings.
Click the video below to watch Cooley Dickinson's Safety Dance.
About Cooley Dickinson Hospital
Cooley Dickinson, a full-service community hospital, is ranked in the top 5 percent of all U.S. hospitals in patient safety by HealthGrades®, the country's leading independent health care ratings organization. It is the only hospital in the Springfield area to achieve the HealthGrades Patient Safety Excellence Award™ for four consecutive years. Cooley Dickinson’s staff of 1,650 professionals and more than 300 affiliated physicians comprise a network of emergency, surgical, clinical, rehabilitative, hospice and home care expertise that treats 40,000 emergency patients per year, delivers 800 babies, and collaborates with Massachusetts General Hospital to deliver comprehensive cancer care. Cooley Dickinson's vision is to make the Upper Pioneer Valley the nation’s model healthy community, able to provide local access to the most advanced clinical treatments in a caring and neighborly setting. Learn more at www.cooley-dickinson.org.
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