Leapfrog Group named Virtua Voorhees hospital to annual list of Top Hospitals in the U.S.

The Leapfrog Group has named the Virtua Voorhees hospital to its annual list of Top Hospitals in the U.S. The Voorhees hospital is the only full-service, non-specialty hospital in the region to achieve this distinction and one of only 94 top hospitals recognized nationally.

An elite distinction awarded to hospitals nationwide for demonstrating excellence in hospital safety and quality through the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, the Top Hospital award is given to less than seven percent of all eligible hospitals. The awards, which are given annually, was announced at Leapfrog’s Annual Meeting and Top Hospital Awards on Dec. 2 in Washington, D.C.

The selection is based on the results of The Leapfrog Group’s annual hospital survey, which measures hospitals’ performance on patient safety and quality, focusing on three critical areas of hospital care: how patients fare, resource use and management structures established to prevent errors. Performance across many areas of hospital care is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including rates for high-risk procedures and a hospital’s ability to prevent medication errors.

“We are honored to achieve the distinction as a Top Hospital for safety and quality from the prestigious Leapfrog Group,” said Virtua President and CEO Richard P. Miller. “Virtua has rigorous standards and we continually monitor clinical performance to ensure that our patients are safe and receiving the highest quality care. Our quality and safety standards and procedures are reinforced through constant training and the implementation of best practices from simple procedures to the most technologically advanced. This distinction is a well-deserved recognition of the exceptional care and commitment Virtua physicians and staff provide every single day.”

While Virtua has numerous safety and quality measures in place, it attributes much of its success to the relationship based care and shared governance models that Virtua staff practices. This enables everyone on the team to identify issues and recommend solutions, which has had a highly positive impact on safety and quality as has the addition of a physician Patient Safety Officer.

“Technology has been another plus in creating a safe environment,” Miller said. “In addition to electronic medical records, the expansion of our Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) system has had a tremendous impact on quality and safety. This technology helps to prevent medication errors.”

“Leapfrog’s Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most prestigious distinctions any hospital can achieve in the United States,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It recognizes institutions for their excellence in quality of care and patient safety, as well as their commitment to transparency. By achieving Top Hospital status, Virtua Voorhees has proven it’s a premier institution and deserves to be recognized for its dedication to the families and patients.”

The Top Hospital award is not given to a set number of hospitals, but rather, to all urban, rural and children’s hospitals that meet the high standards defined in each year’s Top Hospitals Methodology.

To see the full list of institutions honored as a 2014 Top Hospital, please visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.T