Written by Brandy Centolanza
Williamsburg Regional among top 10 percent of hospitals ranked nationally
Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center has been recognized as a top hospital nationally based on quality, efficiency and resource use standards. This is the second straight year the hospital has been honored by the Leapfrog Hospital Recognition Program, which rates 1,066 hospitals in 43 states. The Leapfrog Group consists of public and private sector employers who aim to help reduce medical errors and improve quality and affordability of health care. The announcement came in November.
“We are extremely proud of this,” says Robert Graves, the hospital’s administrator.
Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center received an overall quality score of 75, a resource use score of 80 and an efficiency score of 77, placing it among the top 10 percent of hospitals ranked nationally.
The hospital was evaluated in several key areas including computerized physician order entry, physician staffing in the intensive care unit, outcomes of high risk procedures, common acute conditions, hospital acquired conditions, safe practices and never events. Last year, Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center was recognized after marking seven consecutive years without a single case of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP).
Graves cites Sentara’s eCare electronic health record system, which connects hospital patient records to all sites of care and includes bar coded medication administration as well as the ICU staffing as part of the reasons for the achievement.
“How you staff your ICU reflects the kind of care the sickest patients will get,” he says.
Graves also commends all the hospital’s employees for their efforts.
“The quality medical staff we have and all of our employees played a key role in this,” he says. “All of the employees working together in a quality-oriented fashion makes something like this happen. It’s an ongoing process. Our mission is to improve health every day. It is a daily journey.”