DMC Gets Perfect Score in Leapfrog Group's Safety Score Rankings

Newly Released Leapfrog Rankings Give DMC Detroit Receiving, DMC Harper/Hutzel, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai, and DMC Sinai-Grace Hospitals all A's in Safety  

DETROIT, June 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Four Detroit Medical Center hospitals – DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, DMC Harper University/Hutzel Women's Hospital, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital and DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital – were honored with an "A" Hospital Safety Score(SM) by The Leapfrog Group. The Hospital Safety Score(SM) was calculated under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group's Blue Ribbon Expert Panel using publicly available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections. U.S. hospitals were assigned an A, B, C, D, or F for their safety.

"It's The Leapfrog Group's goal to give patients the information they need and deserve before even entering a hospital," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "We congratulate the hospitals that earned an 'A' and we look forward to the day when all hospitals in the U.S. will earn the highest scores for putting patient safety first."

"This is a tremendous reflection of the rigorous commitment the employees at DMC have to quality care and patient safety," said Mike Duggan, CEO, Detroit Medical Center. "I am very proud of our entire DMC family, whose dedication drove this achievement."

"The safety of our patients while in our care is as important as the care we deliver. Our patients not only expect us to heal them, but they absolutely require that we keep them from harm while we do it. Our latest initiative, 'Safety for Life' is the first, big step toward creating a High Reliability Organization– a place patients recognize for placing their safety as the highest priority," added Dr. Suzanne White, M.B.A., F.A.C.E.P., F.A.C.M.T., Chief Medical Officer, DMC.

This is the sixth consecutive year that a DMC Hospital has been selected as a Leapfrog Top Hospital based on their quality and safety scores. In 2009, DMC Harper University Hospital and DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital were the only hospitals in Michigan to receive the recognition.

Calculated under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group's nine-member Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 26 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single score representing a hospital's overall capacity to keep patients safe from infections, injuries, and medical and medication errors. Visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org, the Hospital Safety Score(SM) website, for more information.

About The Leapfrog Group www.leapfroggroup.org

The Leapfrog Group is a national organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality, and affordability of health care for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals. The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 with support from the Business Roundtable and national funders, and is now independently operated with support from its purchaser and other members.

About Detroit Medical Center www.dmc.org

The Detroit Medical Center includes DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan, DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, DMC Harper University Hospital, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, DMC Hutzel Women's Hospital, DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital, DMC Surgery Hospital, and DMC Cardiovascular Institute. The Detroit Medical Center is a leading regional healthcare system with a mission of excellence in clinical care, research and medical education.

SOURCE Detroit Medical Center