West Jefferson Medical Center Achieves Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award

West Jefferson Medical Center in the top 10% in the Nation for Patient Safety for Two Years in a Row

Marrero, LA (May 25, 2021) – West Jefferson Medical Center announced today that it has been recognized as a Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence AwardTM recipient. This distinction places West Jefferson Medical Center among the top 10% of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting patients and providers. This is the second consecutive year West Jefferson Medical Center has been recognized for this achievement. West Jefferson Medical Center is one of only eight hospitals in Louisiana to achieve this distinction in 2021.

From 2017 through 2019, there were 190,273 potentially preventable patient safety events among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals.* And, if all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to hospitals performing better than expected on each of 13 Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) evaluated by Healthgrades, on average, 106,052 patient safety events could have been avoided.*

During this time frame, four patient safety indicators accounted for 72% of all patient safety events (collapsed lung, hip fracture due to an in-hospital fall, pressure or bed sores and catheter-related bloodstream infections). Healthgrades found that patients treated in hospitals receiving the Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average*:

• 50.3% 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.*
• 60.3% less likely to experience an in-hospital fall resulting in hip fracture, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.*
• 66.5% less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.*
• 65.4% less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.*

“We are pleased to once again receive this prestigious award from Healthgrades, highlighting our commitment to excellence in patient safety,” said Rob Calhoun, President and CEO of West Jefferson Medical Center. “To achieve this recognition during a global pandemic is a true testament to our dedicated providers, nurses, and staff. Working together to face the challenges COVID-19 has reinforced our commitment to patient safety and improving the health of the communities we serve.”

“The importance of hospital quality is now at the forefront of consumers’ minds, especially as we continue to navigate COVID-19. We congratulate the recipients of the Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award for their ongoing commitment to upholding the highest quality standards for their patients and communities,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades.

"Being a recipient of this recognition from Healthgrades, once again, gives me immense pride in our staff’s teamwork, passion and commitment to Patient Safety," said Darlene Gondrella, VP of Quality at West Jefferson Medical Center. "At West Jefferson Medical Center, EVERY healthcare employee is essential to keeping our patients safe; and due to the Interdisciplinary team we have at West Jefferson Medical Center, and their constant pursuit of Service Excellence, we are able to receive this prestigious honor."

During the study period (2017 through 2019), Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient hospitals demonstrated excellent performance in patient safety within the Medicare population, as measured by objective outcomes—risk-adjusted patient safety indicator (PSI) rates—for 13 PSIs defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). A 14th PSI is included in the evaluation - Foreign Objects Left in Body During a Surgery or Procedure – which is a “never” event and does not have an expected rate.

View Healthgrades hospital quality methodologies.

*Statistics are calculated from Healthgrades Patient Safety Ratings and Excellence Award methodology which is based primarily on AHRQ technical specifications (Version 2020.0.1) to MedPAR data for years 2017 through 2019 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.