For the third year in a row, West Jefferson Medical Center is named among the best medical facilities in the nation for patient safety

West Jefferson Medical Center is proud to announce its recognition as a Healthgrades 2022 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ 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 that provides comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals making it easier for patients to connect with providers. This is the third consecutive year West Jefferson Medical Center has been recognized for this achievement, making West Jefferson one of only eight hospitals in Louisiana to achieve this award in 2022. 

“Patient safety is among our top priorities at West Jefferson,” said Rob Calhoun, President and Chief Executive Officer of West Jefferson Medical Center. As Calhoun notes, the Westbank community and surrounding area depend heavily on us for their care. Hundreds of dedicated providers, nurses and staff are committed to patient safety by working closely together to prevent risks and provide the best medical care to those who come to West Jefferson. Receiving this year’s Healthgrades award is a reflection of their efforts,’ comments Calhoun.  

Healthgrades recognizes the best medical facilities for patient safety after intensive studies and reviews of patient statistics. This latest study period occurred from 2018 through 2020, and during that time, there were 170,231 potentially preventable patient safety events among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals.* What this indicates is that four patient safety indicators accounted for 74% of all patient safety events: hip fracture due to an in-hospital fall, collapsed lung resulting from a procedure/surgery, 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*: 

• 55.8% less likely to experience an in-hospital fall resulting in hip fracture than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals* 
• 52.6% less likely to experience a collapsed lung resulting from a procedure or surgery in or around the chest than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals* 
• 66.2% less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals* 
• 65.8% less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals* 

With the ongoing pandemic and related medical issues in today's world, it’s essential that patients have vital information to evaluate and compare hospital performance to make critical healthcare decisions. For those patients who rely on West Jefferson, this award reinforces the hospital’s commitment to providing the safest and best healthcare to the Westbank community.  

"I give credit and congratulate our entire staff for their dedication to patient care,” comments Darlene Gondrella, Vice Presdient of Quality at West Jefferson Medical Center. “I could not be prouder of our physicians, nurses and ancillary staff who diligently work together to ensure patients who come to West Jefferson are safe. Their hard work deserves this prestigious award, and for the third year in a row, they see the results of their efforts by being recognized by Healthgrades,” Gondrella says. 

Consumers can visit Healthgrades for more information on how it measures hospital quality and access the complete methodology here. 

*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 represents three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.