Gadsden, AL November 13, 2018 – Riverview announced today that it is a recipient of the Healthgrades 2018 Patient Safety Excellence Award, a designation that recognizes superior performance of hospitals that have prevented the occurrence of serious, potentially avoidable complications for patients during hospital stays.
Riverview is the only hospital in Northern Alabama to receive this recognition and 1 of only 5 hospitals in Alabama. Riverview Regional Medical Center is a member of Prime Healthcare, and Prime Healthcare has had more Patient Safety Excellence Award recipients for three consecutive years (2016-2018) than any other health system in the country.
“We applaud the hospitals who have received the Healthgrades 2018 Patient Safety Excellence Award,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades. “Their dedication and commitment to providing safe care create tangible results for patients.”
The distinction places Riverview among the top 5 percent of all acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data for its excellent performance as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.
Sherry Fryman, Interim Chief Nursing Officer at Riverview said, “It is very rewarding to know that our staff is receiving the recognition they so richly deserve. Our focus has always been to provide a high-quality, safe environment for our patients. We want them to know we are committed to their safety, so they can focus on what really matters, getting well and returning home to their family.”
During the 2014 to 2016 study period, Healthgrades found that patients treated in hospitals receiving the Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average:
- 55.6 percent less likely to experience an accidental cut, puncture, perforation, or hemorrhage during medical care, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals
- 52.4 percent 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
- 62.8 percent less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired at the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals
- 54.3 percent less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals[1]
[1] Statistics are based on Healthgrades Patient Safety Ratings and Excellence Award methodology, which is primarily constructed using AHRQ Technical Specifications version 5E applied to MedPAR data for the years 2014 through 2016 and represents three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.
During the study period (2014 to 2016), Healthgrades 2018 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient hospitals demonstrated excellent performance in safety provided for patients in the Medicare population, as measured by objective outcomes (risk-adjusted patient safety indicator rates) for 13 patient safety indicators defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
If all hospitals achieved the average performance of award recipients for each of the 13 Patient Safety Indicators evaluated, during the 2014 to 2016 study period, 126,342 patient safety events could have been avoided.
Riverview has many initiatives that contributed to receiving the 2018 Patient Safety Excellence Award including weekly senior leadership rounds. John Langlois, Chief Executive Officer said, “Riverview is proud to receive the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award. Our participation with Healthgrades provides consumers a transparent view of the patient care provided and recognizes the efforts of our staff to provide safe, quality care.”
View Healthgrades hospital quality methodologies.
Access the recently released Patient Sentiment Report from Healthgrades and MGMA, which analyzed nearly 7 million online patient reviews and reveals what patients say about their physicians.
About Riverview Regional Medical Center
Located in Gadsden, Riverview Regional Medical Center is a 281-bed acute-care hospital serving more than 350,000 residents in Etowah and the contiguous counties. A full range of services and programs are offered, including a Heart and Vascular Center, Sleep Lab, Heartburn Treatment Center, Wound Care and Hyperbaric Center, and Imaging Center. Riverview Regional Medical Center is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Originally named Holy Name of Jesus Hospital, Riverview Regional Medical Center was founded in 1926 by the Sisters of the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity. Riverview was purchased by Prime Healthcare, in Ontario California, in 2015. Together, they continue the founding mission to provide quality healthcare in the community it serves.