AARP The Magazine and The Leapfrog Group partnered to highlight a selection of hospitals that received an "A" patient safety rating from Leapfrog.
Here are examples of safety practices at some of the hospitals showcased by AARP The Magazine and The Leapfrog Group:
Mayo Clinic Hospital (Phoenix)
1. A rapid-response nurse program with a nurse on call 24/7 does rounds in every unit to talk to team leads and check on sickest patients.
Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, Calif.)
2. Specially trained ombudsmen/mediators help facilitate difficult conversations between patients who have been harmed and healthcare professionals.
Sibley Memorial Hospital (Washington, D.C.)
3. Patients having joint surgery are given a solution to cleanse with before the operation in an attempt to reduce infections.
Cleveland Clinic Florida (Weston)
4. A nurse assesses patients each day to determine fall risk and gives high-risk patients yellow slippers to wear to ease identification.
The Queen's Medical Center (Honolulu)
5. Double verification is used when giving high-risk medications.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago)
6. Staff meets each week to review safety events of the week.
St. Vincent's Indianapolis Hospital
7. Staff color-codes patient armbands so care is standardized by condition (orthopedic, postsurgical, etc.).
Grinnell (Iowa) Regional Medical Center
8. To increase transparency, caregivers change shifts in the patient's room so the patient hears condition reports and can become comfortable with new nurses and physicians.
Central Maine Medical Center (Lewiston)
9. Bar codes on medications and patient wristbands ensure patients are getting the right medication.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston)
10. To prevent infection, patients on ventilators have teeth brushed regularly.
Detroit Receiving Hospital/University Health Center
11. Administrators hold monthly meetings that include discussions of good safety catches and how to improve the system.
Regions Hospital (St. Paul, Minn.)
12. Staff use a "time-out towel" — a sterile towel placed over the instrument stand in the operating room — to act as a physical barrier and reminder to follow standardized procedures.
Billings (Mont.) Clinic
13. Medication reconciliation pharmacists advance appropriate medication reconciliation with a focus on discharge transitions of care.
Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center
14. A hospital-wide safety survey is conducted regularly to see where the hospital stands on reporting errors.
Vassar Brothers Medical Center (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
15. Code Sepsis in the ER supports early identification of the disease and provision for standardized treatment.
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
16. Surgical services standardize communication under a crew management model.
The Christ Hospital (Cincinnati)
17. All administration meetings begin with stories about safety "catches."
Allegheny General Hospital (Pittsburgh)
18. A Serious Event Review Panel, consisting of hospital patient safety officers and clinical leadership, hosts a weekly conference call during which safety events are discussed.
Vanderbilt University Hospital (Nashville, Tenn.)
19. Caregivers and board members have the opportunity to participate in clinical programs in which they can spend a year working with world-renowned experts on safety.
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle (Texas)
20. A critical communication model involves teamwork and huddles with leadership.
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, (Fairfax, Va.)
21. An intensive team of safety coaches monitors other staff members to make sure patient safety is being heavily enforced.
Virginia Mason Medical Center (Seattle)
22. Special levers under mattresses alert nurses when a patient at risk of falling is trying to get out of bed.
Wyoming Medical Center (Casper)
23. A "Red-Zone" prohibits staff from interrupting nurses in the process of giving medication.
Patient Safety Tool: Emergency Services Infection Prevention Guide
Patient Safety Tool: Pocket Card for Safe Clinic Handoffs
Here are examples of safety practices at some of the hospitals showcased by AARP The Magazine and The Leapfrog Group:
Mayo Clinic Hospital (Phoenix)
1. A rapid-response nurse program with a nurse on call 24/7 does rounds in every unit to talk to team leads and check on sickest patients.
Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, Calif.)
2. Specially trained ombudsmen/mediators help facilitate difficult conversations between patients who have been harmed and healthcare professionals.
Sibley Memorial Hospital (Washington, D.C.)
3. Patients having joint surgery are given a solution to cleanse with before the operation in an attempt to reduce infections.
Cleveland Clinic Florida (Weston)
4. A nurse assesses patients each day to determine fall risk and gives high-risk patients yellow slippers to wear to ease identification.
The Queen's Medical Center (Honolulu)
5. Double verification is used when giving high-risk medications.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago)
6. Staff meets each week to review safety events of the week.
St. Vincent's Indianapolis Hospital
7. Staff color-codes patient armbands so care is standardized by condition (orthopedic, postsurgical, etc.).
Grinnell (Iowa) Regional Medical Center
8. To increase transparency, caregivers change shifts in the patient's room so the patient hears condition reports and can become comfortable with new nurses and physicians.
Central Maine Medical Center (Lewiston)
9. Bar codes on medications and patient wristbands ensure patients are getting the right medication.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston)
10. To prevent infection, patients on ventilators have teeth brushed regularly.
Detroit Receiving Hospital/University Health Center
11. Administrators hold monthly meetings that include discussions of good safety catches and how to improve the system.
Regions Hospital (St. Paul, Minn.)
12. Staff use a "time-out towel" — a sterile towel placed over the instrument stand in the operating room — to act as a physical barrier and reminder to follow standardized procedures.
Billings (Mont.) Clinic
13. Medication reconciliation pharmacists advance appropriate medication reconciliation with a focus on discharge transitions of care.
Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center
14. A hospital-wide safety survey is conducted regularly to see where the hospital stands on reporting errors.
Vassar Brothers Medical Center (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
15. Code Sepsis in the ER supports early identification of the disease and provision for standardized treatment.
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
16. Surgical services standardize communication under a crew management model.
The Christ Hospital (Cincinnati)
17. All administration meetings begin with stories about safety "catches."
Allegheny General Hospital (Pittsburgh)
18. A Serious Event Review Panel, consisting of hospital patient safety officers and clinical leadership, hosts a weekly conference call during which safety events are discussed.
Vanderbilt University Hospital (Nashville, Tenn.)
19. Caregivers and board members have the opportunity to participate in clinical programs in which they can spend a year working with world-renowned experts on safety.
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle (Texas)
20. A critical communication model involves teamwork and huddles with leadership.
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, (Fairfax, Va.)
21. An intensive team of safety coaches monitors other staff members to make sure patient safety is being heavily enforced.
Virginia Mason Medical Center (Seattle)
22. Special levers under mattresses alert nurses when a patient at risk of falling is trying to get out of bed.
Wyoming Medical Center (Casper)
23. A "Red-Zone" prohibits staff from interrupting nurses in the process of giving medication.
More Articles on Patient Safety:
4 Recommendations to Save Lives & Costs Through Preventive HealthPatient Safety Tool: Emergency Services Infection Prevention Guide
Patient Safety Tool: Pocket Card for Safe Clinic Handoffs