Boston Medical Center scores an 'A' in patient safety

By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent

Boston Medical Center has received an “A” grade from a national non-profit focused on patient safety.

The Leapfrog Group, which aims to give patients a simple way to judge the safety of hospitals, awarded BMC the top mark of its Hospital Safety Score based on how well it keeps patients safe from error, injury, and infection.

“Hospitals like this that earn an A have demonstrated their commitment to their patients and their community,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in a statement.

The organization rates hospital across the country using 26 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to calculate a single score for the hospitals overall capacity to prevent infections, injuries, and medical and medication errors.

The measures include rates of bloodstream infections, serious treatable complications after surgery, falls, along with staffing levels and hand hygiene. Scores range from A to F, and are calculated with input from a panel of experts in the health and patient safety fields.

“Boston Medical Center’s commitment to the safety of our patients is our top priority and this A safety score reflects that,” Kate Walsh, BMC president and CEO, said in a statement. “We are pleased to receive this national distinction and will continue our work to provide safe, high-quality care to our patients.”

BMC is not alone with its high score.

The Globe reported in June that no Massachusetts hospital received a grade lower than a C on The Leapfrog Group's safety score.

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E-mail: johanna.yourtown@gmail.com