Honors go to hospitals throughout Michigan

In observing National Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 12th – March 18th, 2017), the Economic Alliance for Michigan (EAM) announces today the recipients of the EAM Hospital Patient Safety Award to eight Michigan hospitals. The EAM Hospital Patient Safety Award recognizes hospitals in Michigan consistently performing high marks and improvements in patient safety and quality of care. Hospitals can earn two different awards: the Excellence Award and the Improvement Award.

Three hospitals earned the Excellence Award:

• Dickinson County Healthcare System, Iron Mountain
• DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, Commerce Township
• Michigan Medicine (University of Michigan), Ann Arbor

Five hospitals earned the Improvement Award:

• Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital
• MidMichigan Health Center – Gratiot, Alma
• Spectrum Health Blodgett, Grand Rapids
• Spectrum Health Ludington
• St. Joseph Mercy Livingston, Howell

“There are so many medical errors that occur within hospitals that it’s a major contributor to unnecessary additional healthcare costs,” said Bret Jackson, president, EAM. “I am pleased to honor the three hospitals who consistently strive for perfection with patient safety and the five hospitals who are dedicating efforts to improving safety within their hospitals.”

Hospitals receiving the Excellence Award must report to The Leapfrog Group survey for two consecutive years (2015 & 2016) and maintain all “A’s” with Hospital Safety Score in four consecutive grading terms (Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016).

Hospitals receiving the Improvement Award must report to The Leapfrog Group survey for two consecutive years (2015 & 2016) and show improvement in letter grades for four consecutive grading terms with Hospital Safety Score (Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016). Also, hospitals must have a positive percentage change in the year-to-year average grade. The last term grade (Fall 2016) must be at least a “B” to qualify and hospitals must improve by two letter grades during the four terms.

To learn more about the EAM go to www.eamonline.org.

To learn about The Leapfrog Group go to www.leapfroggroup.org.