Leapfrog issues more than 1,800 hospitals spring and fall grades on
27 measures of hospital safety, including hand hygiene, bedsores and
falls.
"The safety grade does get a lot of attention in local communities,"
says Erica Mobley, Leapfrog's director of operations. "What's making
an impact is local and regional publications writing about hospitals in
their communities. When they publish these articles, people are look-
ing."
How do you rate?
Surgical facilities are now rated in all kinds of different ways. Here's
how to score well in health rating systems — and how to defend your-
self when you don't score well. Not only is your reputation on the line.
Ratings could impact your reimbursements, too.
Henry Ford Wyandotte (Mich.) Hospital spent $250,000 to improve
its lobby in January 2016 with the hopes of improving its patient expe-
rience. The hospital was shocked when it received a 68 on its next
OAS CAHPS score from Press Ganey. Patients gave the hospital lower
scores in 2 areas: discharge instructions and the facility experience,
including how the facility cared for patients' families.
In the lobby, the hospital noticed that relatives waiting for patients
to come out of surgery wanted to plug in their phones, get something
to eat and have access to Wi-Fi. So the hospital installed a phone
charging bank and started handing out pamphlets with all the infor-
mation family members might need while they wait, including the Wi-
Fi password and locations of all the bathrooms and cafeterias. The
charging bank cost the hospital $600, and the paper for the pamphlets
only cost them $250.
"For less than $850, I have them centered for success the moment
they come in," says Tiffany Tscherne, RN, MSN, CNL, CSSM, TCRN,
5 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7
