5 Henry Ford Hospitals Earn ‘A’ Grades for Patient Safety

DETROIT – Henry Ford Health System’s five acute-care hospitals each earned an A grade for patient safety performance in The Leapfrog Group’s safety grades.

This achievement marks the first time the hospitals have collectively earned the top safety grade in The Leapfrog Group’s bi-annual safety grades. By doing so, Henry Ford is one of only two health systems nationally – and the only one in Michigan – to achieve that distinction for the fall safety grades.

Hospitals that received an A grade are:

• Henry Ford Hospital

• Henry Ford Allegiance Health

• Henry Ford Macomb Hospital

• Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital

• Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital

“This is a momentous achievement for our hospitals and the entire Henry Ford organization,” says Wright Lassiter III, Henry Ford’s president and CEO. “The safety of our patients is our most important priority and the focus of every interaction, every decision and every patient-care plan. I’m extremely proud of our team members and our hospitals for their exceptional performance and collaboration in keeping our patients safe in our care.”

Twice a year, grades are assigned to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals using a scoring algorithm to determine each hospital’s score as an A, B, C, D or F letter grade. The grade is a composite score comprising 28 different nationally reported patient safety measures that indicate how well hospitals protect patients from preventable errors, injuries and infections.

“We strive to create an environment that keeps our patients safe and ultimately, results in the best health outcomes possible,” says Adnan Munkarah, M.D., Henry Ford’s chief clinical officer. “These top safety grades reflect our team members’ commitment and passion to create that environment.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Here are individual remarks from each hospital leader:

Veronica Hall, R.N., president and interim CEO, Henry Ford Hospital. “This exceptional recognition for patient safety is the result of a shared commitment by all of our Henry Ford Hospital team members. Our team approach allows us to create a safe, healing environment in which our patients trust us with their care. We have an amazing, inspiring team that strives each day to provide the best care experience possible for our patients.”

Georgia Fojtasek, R.N., president and CEO, Henry Ford Allegiance Health. “As Henry Ford Allegiance Health enters our second century and continues the journey of High Reliability, I am confident our focus on consistent use of best practices will further promote the culture of safety across our organization. Every patient deserves to receive care in a safe, healing environment. We are committed to giving each patient the best experience possible.”

Barbara Rossmann, president and CEO, Henry Ford Macomb Hospital. "This recognition is a testament to the remarkable teamwork of every individual at Henry Ford Macomb – whether they are interacting directly with patients or supporting those who do. We take great pride in the level of safety we provide to the patients we serve, so it is especially rewarding to see that care honored by an outside agency.”

Lynn Torossian, president and CEO, Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. “Safety is, and has always been, our highest priority. I’m so proud of our staff. It is their dedication, hard work and vigilance that resulted in this recognition. This award tells me that we are doing the right things to keep our patients and staff safe.”

Denise Brooks-Williams, president and CEO, Henry Ford Wyandotte. “Achieving an A is a great testament to the commitment to quality and safety by our Henry Ford Wyandotte team. Our physicians, nurses and the entire team are focused on providing the highest quality care to our patients every day. This achievement is a great step in our journey to a highly reliable culture.”

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MEDIA CONTACT: David Olejarz / David.Olejarz@hfhs.org / 313.874.4094

About Henry Ford Health System
Henry Ford Health System is a six-hospital system headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. It is one of the nation’s leading comprehensive, integrated health systems, recognized for clinical excellence and innovation. Henry Ford provides both health insurance and health care delivery, including acute, specialty, primary and preventive care services backed by excellence in research and education. Henry Ford Health System is led by President & CEO Wright Lassiter III. Visit HenryFord.com to learn more.

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.