SAN DIEGO–Kaiser Permanente San Diego has been named for the second year in a row among the nation’s “Top Hospitals” for delivering high quality health care and patient safety with the most efficient use of resources by the Leapfrog Group, a national organization that seeks to promote improvements in health care safety, quality and affordability. A total of 18 Kaiser Permanente facilities in California have received this recognition out of 52 Top Urban Hospitals nationwide.
The 2011 ‘Top Hospital’ list is made up of three categories of hospitals: urban, rural, and children’s hospitals, for a total of 65 Top Hospitals chosen from a field of nearly 1,200 hospitals across the nation. To make the ‘Top Hospital’ list, medical centers participated in the 2011 Leapfrog Hospital Survey which focused on four critical areas of patient safety. Every hospital designated ‘Top Hospital’ demonstrated effective use of computerized physician orders for medications, met tough standards for nursing and physician staffing, successfully performed high-risk surgeries and procedures, and demonstrated efficient use of health care resources while maintaining high quality outcomes. In addition, hospitals are measured on their progress in preventing infections and other hospital-acquired conditions and adopting policies on the handling of serious medical errors.
“It is an honor to be recognized for our commitment to providing high quality health care to the residents of San Diego,” said Mary Ann Barnes, senior vice president and executive director for Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center Area. “Our talented health care team is dedicated to ensuring that we deliver the best care possible to the San Diego community we serve.”
KP HealthConnect®, Kaiser Permanente’s 21st century electronic medical record system played a vital role in meeting the Leapfrog Group safety standards. By using computers to place hospital medication orders, physicians in Kaiser Permanente facilities were able to reduce medication errors. For example, KP HealthConnect®provides same-time alerts to physicians to notify them of drug allergies, drugs that are not appropriate for pregnant women and potential adverse drug interactions. The system also eliminates errors due to the legibility of physician orders.
“Our primary goal is to focus on wellness, and to prevent serious illness that may require a hospital stay,” said Paul Bernstein, MD, area medical director of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group in San Diego. “This honor gives our patients additional reassurance that they will receive the highest quality care in a safe environment when they need hospitalization,” he added.
The Leapfrog Group is a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health benefits founded a decade ago to work for improvements in health care safety, quality, and affordability. To view the complete list of the 2011 Leapfrog Top Hospitals go to www.leapfroggroup.org.
