Big Rapids Hospital

Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital Receives an “A” for Patient Safety in the Spring 2017 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Guide

Award Marks 4th Year in a Row for “A” Rating

BIG RAPIDS, Mich., April 12, 2017 – Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital is pleased to announce it received an “A” rating from The Leapfrog Group for hospital safety for the fourth year in a row.

The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization committed to driving quality, safety and transparency in the U.S. health care system, today released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which assign A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide. Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital was one of 823 hospitals to receive an “A” for its commitment to reducing errors, infections and accidents that could potentially harm patients.

Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital President Mary Kay VanDriel is honored to receive this award.

“Receiving an ‘A’ rating year after year is an outstanding accomplishment. Our team at Big Rapids Hospital is dedicated to patient safety, and we’re very proud to accept the Leapfrog Award,” VanDriel said. “It proves that each of our employees is an incredible asset in providing trusted, exceptional health care to the communities we serve.”

Chuck Holmquist, chairman of the hospital’s board of directors, is proud of Big Rapids Hospital’s achievements.

“The board of directors is pleased with the exceptional work the hospital is doing to meet the highest standards for quality, safety and patient experience, “Holmquist said. “This award is the result of a strong vision for high performance, teamwork and patient focus.”

Developed under the guidance of an expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Reed City Hospital received a Top Rural Hospital award in 2016, but is not eligible for a grade rating as a Critical Access Hospital.

“Hospitals that earn top marks nationally in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, have achieved the highest safety standards in the country,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “That takes commitment from every member of the hospital staff, who all deserve thanks and congratulations when their hospitals achieve an “A” Safety Grade.”

To see Big Rapids Hospital’s full grade, and to access consumer-friendly patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org. Reed City Hospital received a Top Hospital award from The Leapfrog Group in 2016, but does not qualify for a grade rating because it is a Critical Access Hospital.

About Spectrum Health

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system, based in West Michigan, offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of 12 hospitals, including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; about 180 ambulatory and service sites; about 3,200 physicians and advanced practice providers, including about 1,400 members of the Spectrum Health Medical Group; and Priority Health, a health plan with about 791,000 members. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer, with 25,300 employees. The organization provided more than $326 million in community benefit during its 2016 fiscal year. Spectrum Health was named one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems—and in the top five among the largest health systems—by Truven Health Analytics™ for 2016. This is the fifth time the organization has received this recognition.

About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.

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People are at the heart of everything we do, and the inspiration for our legacy of outstanding outcomes, innovation, strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Corewell Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides health care and coverage with an exceptional team of 60,000+ dedicated people—including more than 11,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 15,000 nurses providing care and services in 21 hospitals, 300+ outpatient locations and several post-acute facilities—and Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health plan serving more than 1.3 million members. Through experience and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness. For more information, visit corewellhealth.org.

Contact:
Patricia Ezdebski
Marketing and Public Relations
Office: 231.845.2350
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Email: patricia.ezdebski@corewellhealth.org

Danielle Wells
Media Relations Contact
Email: danielle.wells@spectrumhealth.org