HOULTON, Maine — For the second consecutive year, Houlton Regional Hospital has been selected as one of the top nine health care centers in the state.
The Leapfrog Group announced its list of “top hospitals” Friday in a press release. According to the release, those care centers on the list “demonstrate the highest standards of care.” The Leapfrog Group is an independent nonprofit organization representing employer purchasers of health care.
Trudy O’Bar, quality manager for HRH, said this recognition is attributable to the hospital’s committed staff and the safe care they provide to patients.
“We are happy to receive this recognition and it is attributable to our committed staff and the level of care they provide to our patients.”
Widely acknowledged as one of the most prestigious distinctions any hospital can achieve in the United States, the award recognizes excellence in hospital safety, quality, and resource use based on the results of the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey, and is given to less than 7 percent of all eligible hospitals, the release states.
“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, Houlton Regional Hospital has proven it’s a premier institution and deserves to be recognized for its dedication to the families and patients in the Greater Houlton area,”
Others on the list include Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, Calais Regional Hospital, Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital, Inland Hospital, Lincoln Health, Pen Bay Medical Center, Sebasticook Valley Health and Stephens Memorial Hospital
Houlton Regional Hospital was one of 94 Top Hospitals recognized nationally. The list includes: 25 top rural hospitals; 60 top urban hospitals; and nine top children’s hospitals.
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 extremely proud of our nine hospitals that have been recognized by The Leapfrog Group for their dedication to delivering high quality care,” remarked Maine Health Management Coalition CEO Andy Webber. “Our state has more top rural hospitals than any other in the country. That’s a testament to a medical culture dedicated to continuous quality improvement, and our collaborative spirit and commitment to transparency.”
All nine rural hospitals that earned Leapfrog’s distinction publish information on their quality care on the Coaltion’s GetBetterMaine website.
“We believe this has helped to drive quality improvement across the state,” added Webber. “We look forward to continuing this work with the aim of all of Maine’s hospitals earning the Top Hospital designation.”
To view the full list of hospitals, visit www.leapfrog group.org/TopHospitals.
