Yahoo Finance One Midlands hospital named among the top in the US, watchdog group says
A Midlands hospital was recognized as one of the best in the nation by a safety watchdog group Tuesday.
Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge was named a Top Hospital, according to the Leapfrog Group.
This is the second year in a row the Columbia hospital has been rated among the best in the U.S. for its safety and quality standards.
In 2020, Baptist Parkridge was named to Leapfrog’s Top General Hospital list, while this year it was honored for being a Top Teaching Hospital.
Only 5% of hospitals in the U.S. achieve this elite recognition, and Baptist Parkridge is one of only two hospitals in South Carolina to be honored more than once in the past decade, Prisma spokeswoman Tammie Epps said in a news release. Charleston’s Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital is the other.
The honor “validates the hard work done by all team members every day,” Baptist Parkridge Manager of Quality and Reliability Ashley Brown said in the release. “Baptist Parkridge strives for excellence and puts patient safety at the heart of everything we do. By focusing on daily metrics, we are able to ensure high quality and efficient care is provided to all of our patients.”
Baptist Parkridge was the lone Midlands hospital to receive an A grade this fall in the Leapfrog Group’s biannual hospital safety rankings.
On top of that distinction, Baptist Parkridge also had to meet Leapfrog standards for computerized provider order entry, ICU physician staffing, and commit to a serious reportable event, “Never Event” policy; and report on all (applicable) measures and meet Leapfrog standards on at least 60% of them to receive the honor.
“We have worked hard to develop a culture in which we pursue excellence — not for merit badges but because these team members want to be the best and continue to challenge themselves,” Baptist Parkridge CEO Michael Bundy said in the release.
Bundy said because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, reaching the top was even harder this year because Baptist Parkridge “went up in our acuity level; we were taking care of sicker people.”
Other hospitals in South Carolina that were named among the best in the U.S. this year by Leapfrog included Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, Mount Pleasant Hospital, and Roper St. Francis Hospital (Berkeley). They were each recognized in the Top General Hospital category.
Baptist Parkridge was the only hospital in South Carolina honored by Leapfrog in 2020.
“It is exciting to be honored for two consecutive years,” said Tina Ralyea, Chief Nursing Officer of Baptist and Baptist Parkridge hospitals. “This recognition reflects the consistent pursuit of excellence from the interdisciplinary and collaborative team. Every day and in every encounter, the patients and families are put first.”
In July, Baptist Parkridge was recognized by U.S. News & World Report, which said it was considered high performing in treating heart attack, kidney failure, back surgery/spinal fusion, and pneumonia.
