Greenwich Hospital has earned an “A”grade for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit watchdog organization that rates many aspects of hospital quality across the country.
Leapfrog works on a scale from A to F and analyzes more than 3,000 hospitals, using a judging scale based on their performance across 30 different metrics that impact patient safety.
“Receiving the A made us all feel very proud here at the hospital,”said Dr. Karen Santucci, chief medical officer for Greenwich Hospital. “Being part of this voluntary survey means that we’re being recognized for our work related to patient safety. It includes markers like how our physicians and our nurses communicate with our patients, avoiding preventable infections, and things like focusing on being the safest environment we could possibly be.”An emphasis on hand washing when entering and exiting any room, organizational rules in place to ensure reliability, and having systems for staff members to share their thoughts and concerns are all key parts of the process that earned the hospital the coveted A grade, according to Santucci.
“We call it 200% accountability,”Santucci added. “This is what we do every day here at Greenwich Hospital. So, it is really nice when we’re recognized outside the hospital for these values that we uphold on a daily basis.”Santucci emphasized that the dedication to patient safety applied to all staff members who worked to hold each other accountable. She noted that she has been gently reminded by other staffers to put a mask on, which is still required outside of offices within Greenwich Hospital out of an abundance of caution and as a counter to diseases besides Covid.
While allowing that the A rating was a “major triumph,”Santucci indicated that the award itself will not be allowed to foster a lax attitude about safety measures.
“My CEO, Diane Kelly, will say ‘We will celebrate that for about 30 seconds and then get back down to work.’ Because nothing happens accidentally, it has to be very purposeful and also just in the moment,”Santucci said. “We need to be reminding each other that we have to be hypervigilant working every day towards our goals with each and every patient, but also for bigger projects.”Santucci described efforts to continually improve both the patient experience and hospital safety as central to continuing receiving high ratings and recognitions. She noted the hospital has been designated a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialling Center, a distinction which only 8% of hospitals nationwide can claim, but she noted this was important because it adds value, attracting nurses interested in providing the highest levels of service.
Earning the award has also required the implantation of new technology, such as a fall monitoring system. According to Santucci, cameras are used to keep an eye on patients who are at risk of hurting themselves through falls or may be in distress from conditions like dementia. When the system’s operator spots one of these patients trying to get up, they can let them know that assistance will arrive shortly or dispatch a nurse immediately in urgent cases.
Above all else, Santucci said the most important part of ensuring that Greenwich Hospital remains able to not only earn top marks such as the Leapfrog’s safety rating is a focus on listening to patients.
“We always have our eye on the ball. We have surveys that are submitted for all of our encounters at the hospital, and we read 100% of every single comment that comes back to the hospital,”Santucci said. “If somebody had a less than optimal experience, we delve into that. If it’s not an anonymous survey, we reach out to the patient to find out how we could have done better.”
