Local

Parrish Medical Center awarded an "A" for patient safety by Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score

TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Parrish Medical Center, a not-for-profit acute care public medical center serving North Brevard County for more than 50 years, was honored with an "A" Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. This marks the third consecutive "A" rating PMC has earned from The Leapfrog Group—the only hospital in the area to have achieved that distinction. The A score was awarded in the latest update to the Hospital Safety ScoreSM, the A, B, C, D or F scores assigned to U.S. hospitals based on preventable medical errors, injuries accidents, and infections. The Hospital Safety Score is compiled under the guidance of the nation's leading experts on patient safety and is designed to give the public information they can use to protect themselves and their families.

Of the 2,514 general hospitals issued a Hospital Safety Score, 780 earned an “A,” 638 earned a “B,” 932 earned a “C,” 148 earned a “D” and 16 earned an “F.”

In Florida, just 62 hospitals, or fewer than 40 percent, received “A” ratings.

“We are pleased to earn this A rating from The Leapfrog Group for safety,” stated Herman A. Cole Jr., chairman of the board for Parrish Medical Center. “Safety is one of our core values, and our care partners do all they can to ensure our patients’ safety at all times.”

“Hospitals like this that earn an A have demonstrated their commitment to their patients and their community,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “I congratulate Parrish Medical Center for its safety excellence, and look forward to the day when all hospitals will match this standard.”

To see Parrish Medical Center's scores as they compare nationally and locally, visit the Hospital Safety Score website at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org, which also provides information on how the public can protect themselves and loved ones during a hospital stay. People can also check their local hospital's score on the free mobile app, available at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.

The grades used in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score program are derived from expert analysis of publicly available data using national evidence-based measures of patient safety. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score program grades hospitals on their overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors.

About Parrish Medical Center

Parrish Medical Center, located at 951 N. Washington Ave., Titusville, Florida, is a 210-bed, not-for-profit acute care public medical center serving North Brevard County for more than 50 years. PMC has earned an "A" rating in the Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Rating Report, a Gallup Great Workplace Award, the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital ProgramSM Award for An Outstanding Inpatient Experience, was named a Modern Healthcare magazine Top 100 Place to Work in Healthcare, and was a Spirit of Excellence Award Winner. PMC was voted America's # 1 Healing Hospital three years in a row. The medical center has been awarded four disease-specific certification gold seals from the Joint Commission in acute coronary syndrome, breast cancer, heart failure and stroke. For more information, visit www.parrishmed.com.

About The Leapfrog Group

The Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org) is a national nonprofit 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.