MemorialCare Health System Hospitals Honored as Among Safest in U.S.

LONG BEACH and ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., June 8, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MemorialCare Health System hospitals, including Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, were honored with an "A" Hospital Safety Score(SM) by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. The Hospital Safety Score(SM) is 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 score.

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

MemorialCare pioneered best practice medicine nearly two decades ago, and continues to be at the forefront of delivering care with outcomes that frequently benchmark above state and national averages. "Our 13,000 physicians, nurses, clinical and support staff pursue treatments and therapies that work best," says Barry Arbuckle, Ph.D., MemorialCare Health System president & CEO. "This newest national recognition from The Leapfrog Group affirms that our tremendous efforts and results in quality, safety and clinical outcomes have not gone unnoticed. We are honored to be included among the nation's safest hospitals."

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. The Leapfrog Group uses 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.

This is one of an impressive number of recent global, national and statewide honors and accolades awarded to MemorialCare Health System. An acknowledged national leader in patient quality and safety, MemorialCare is recognized as an early pioneer and innovator in implementing evidence-based, best practice medicine to ensure the communities served by its hospitals, physicians and outpatient programs receive comprehensive, high quality care. During recent months, MemorialCare was honored as just one of 27 businesses worldwide with the Gallup Great Workplace Award. Engaged employees, according to the Gallup Organization, are more productive, safer, more customer-centric and more successful.

MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians—medical groups associated with MemorialCare Medical Foundation—were honored by the California Association for Physician Groups with the 2012 Elite Status rating of four stars, the highest rating possible for medical groups in California. The program measures how physician organizations improve patient quality, safety, affordability, access, communications, continuity of care, health information technology, public accountability, cultural sensitivities and responsiveness.

SOURCE MemorialCare Health System