Riverside Shore Memorial earns A rating on patient safety performance

Riverside Health System is proud to announce that Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital (RSMH) and Riverside Walter Reed Hospital (RWRH) have been nationally recognized for earning top safety marks and have each earned an “A” for patient safety performance in the Spring 2022 Hospital Safety Grade Scores by The Leapfrog Group, an independent, national watchdog organization committed to healthcare quality and safety.

The Leapfrog Safety Grade is becoming the gold standard measure of patient safety. Their Safety Grade assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to all general hospitals across the country. The Grade uses up to 31 national performance measures from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and information from other supplemental data resources. It is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospitals’ prevention of medical errors and other harms to patients in their care.

“Riverside is extremely proud of the collaborative effort that this took to earn this accolade. Care, empathy and patient safety is a top priority for every team member at Riverside facilities and this score demonstrates the hard work and dedication that goes into making that a reality every day,” said Mike Dacey, President and COO of Riverside Health System. “Even through the challenges brought forth by COVID-19, this is a testament to the work our team has put in to ensure each patient is always cared for as we would care for those we love while continuing to enhance their well-being and improving their health.”

As part of its ongoing improvement, Riverside facilities continued to focus on the implementation of evidence-based best practices published in medical literature and recommended by nationally-recognized organizations, such as the National Quality Forum, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Preventable complications have been significantly reduced, and patient experience surveys are showing improvement, including RWRH’s sixth consecutive “A” grade.

“This tremendous achievement of receiving an ‘A’ Safety Grade is a proud moment for Riverside and is a reflection of the standards that Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital and Riverside Walter Reed Hospital have implemented to keep our patients’ comfort and safety top of mind,” said Terry Sievers, MS, RN, CPHQ, CPHRM Senior Vice President, Quality Riverside Health System. “Having received such an acknowledgment highlights the continued improvements Riverside has made over these few years, leaning on evidence-based practices and processes to continue to put patients above all and achieve the best outcomes.”

For more information about Riverside Health System, visit riversideonline.com.