Dallas Regional Medical Center (DRMC) recently received Healthgrades’ 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award for the third year in a row.
Healthgrades is the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems. These awards recognize the hospitals around the country that make patient safety a top priority and provide an outstanding patient experience.
As reported through the ongoing COVID-19 patient confidence study, consumers are 65 percent more likely than they were prior to the onset of the coronavirus to choose a hospital based on the quality of care they will receive, over other factors like travel time.
“We’re seeing an important shift in consumer behavior, as healthcare quality remains in the national spotlight as the country reemerges from the coronavirus pandemic,” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer, Healthgrades. “We applaud and are grateful for these hospitals around the country that are working so hard and are committed to providing the care and best experience for their patients.”
According to Healthgrades, in 2020, 456 hospitals across the country achieved the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award, placing them among the top 10 percent of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data.
“Receiving this award three times in a row really goes to show that we put the safety of our patients at the top of our list. We always say, ‘We are your community hospital,’ so our goal is to provide exceptional care to those in our community. These recognitions show we’re putting our money where our mouth is. If you need exceptional medical care, we’ll always be here for you,” said Glenda Matchett, CEO, Dallas Regional Medical Center. “The true heroes of the hospital are our staff and medical providers. I’d like to thank each and every one of them for their service to our patients and the community. We operate as a family, and caring about our patients and our fellow team members is what makes our hospital successful.”
According to a press release, “during the study period (2016-2018), Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient hospitals demonstrated excellent performance in safety provided for patients in the Medicare population, as measured by objective outcomes (risk-adjusted patient safety indicator rates) for 13 patient safety indicators defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). As part of the assessment, Healthgrades also reviews the ‘Retained Foreign Object’ indicator; this adverse outcome is considered a ‘never’ event and hospitals that report even one of these events are ineligible for the award.”
Healthgrades found that patients treated in hospitals receiving the Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average, 48.3 percent less likely to experience a collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals; 54.4 percent less likely to experience a hip fracture following surgery, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals; 66.8 percent less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals; and 63 percent less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired at the hospital, than patients treated at non- recipient hospitals.
Dallas Regional Medical Center is also a Healthgrades Five-Star recipient for the following procedures/conditions: appendectomy, pacemaker procedures, treatment of sepsis, hysterectomy, vaginal delivery, C-Section delivery and hip fracture treatment.
In addition to these Healthgrades recognitions, DRMC was recently awarded an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group, making them the only ‘A’ rated hospital in the area. DRMC also operates the only labor and delivery unit and accredited chest pain center for more than eight miles, the only designated trauma center within 12 miles, and the only accredited geriatric emergency department in Dallas County.