Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital Awarded 'A' in Patient Safety

Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain has been recognized for how well it protects patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections, hospital officials announced Monday. 

The Hospital Safety Score, which is compiled under the guidance of the country's top experts on patient safety and is administered by The Leapfrog Group, awarded the local hospital with an "A", the top grade in patient safety. 

"This recognition is a true testament to our physicians, nurses, technicians and support staff who work together to achieve the best outcomes for our patients," Dr. Michael Gustafson, Chief Operating Officer at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, said in a statement Monday. "We're committed to the high quality standards of this program and are proud of this recognition."

The Hospital Score uses 28 measures of publicly-available hospital safety data to produce a single score of "A," "B," "C," "D" or an "F," representing the hospital's overall capacity to keep patients safe from harm. 

The ratings were calculated under the guidance of Leapfrog's Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, and more than 2,500 hospitals across the country were assigned scores this spring, with 32 percent receiving an "A" grade, according to the announcement. 

"Safety should come first for our families when we pick a hospital, because errors and infections are common and deadly," Leah Binder, president & CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in a statement. "No hospital is perfect, but we congratulate the Board, clinicians, administration, and staff of Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital for achieving an 'A' and showing us that you made the well-being of you patients your top priority."