HCN News & Notes

Cooley Dickinson Recognized with ‘A’ Spring 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade 

 

NORTHAMPTON — Cooley Dickinson Hospital received an ‘A’ Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2022. This national distinction recognizes Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s achievements in protecting patients from harm and errors in the hospital. 

“Cooley Dickinson Hospital continues its successful track record of earning ‘A’ letter grades,” said Cooley Dickinson President and CEO Lynnette Watkins, MD, MBA, of the results that were released earlier today by The Leapfrog Group.  

  

Watkins noted the ‘A’ grade announced today represents the sixth consecutive ‘A’ Cooley Dickinson has earned.  

  

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an ‘A, ‘B,’ ‘C,’ ‘D,’ or ‘F’ grade to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, injuries, accidents and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.  

  

Cooley Dickinson continues to perform well in several areas, such as Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE), Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA), ICU physician staffing requirements, hand hygiene, and patient experience. This strong performance has helped Cooley Dickinson reach this significant achievement. 

  

“Upholding quality is one of Cooley Dickinson’s organizational values,” said Watkins. “We believe in a constant focus on quality and safety, never settling and always improving. This commitment is what our community expects every day, every time they seek care from us.” 

  

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. 

To see Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.