DHN Central hospitals earn ‘A’ for patient safety excellence

Story by Elaine Sanchez

Defense Health Network Central

Two military hospitals from Defense Health Network Central earned an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2024, the Defense Health Agency announced Nov. 15.

The 673rd Medical Group on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and the 81st Medical Group on Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., are among the 15 military hospitals that received top honors for their excellence in transparency and delivery of safe, high-quality care.

“It takes a concerted team effort to achieve this level of recognition,” noted Defense Health Network Central Director Maj. Gen. Thomas Harrell. “Their ‘A’ grades are a testament to the hard work and high standard of care taking place, not only at JBER and Keesler, but across our entire network.”

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national organization, rates hospitals’ patient safety measures through more than 30 national performance indicators, which reflect errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as the safety and quality programs in place to prevent patient harm.

The Military Health System is the first federal health system to participate in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade program. Currently, all military inpatient hospitals and clinics track and report areas that are surveyed in the program.

NORTHERN STARS
This year marks JBER’s second consecutive time scoring an “A” grade.

JBER hospital, fondly known as “J-Bear,” is a Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs joint venture hospital that offers primary, specialty, outpatient, and inpatient care to nearly 160,000 DOD and VA beneficiaries in the Anchorage area. With the temperature extremes in Alaska, JBER healthcare professionals also play a key role in ensuring the health and well-being of service members and their families acclimating to Arctic conditions.

“I’m so proud of our team for sustaining the Leapfrog “A” grade,” said Air Force Col. Laura Baugh, commander, 673rd Medical Group, and hospital director. “It’s a reflection of our commitment to safe patient care, and a testament to the hard work of our medical professionals and support personnel.”

KEESLER KUDOS
While this year marked Keesler Medical Center’s first time on Leapfrog’s “honor roll,” the hospital has a longstanding record of patient safety achievement, noted Air Force Col. Peter Kulis, commander, 81st Medical Group, and director, Keesler Medical Center.

The 81st Medical Group maintains medical readiness for worldwide contingencies by providing quality, cost-effective health care for more than 27,000 enrollees, including almost 7,500 active-duty members. It also provides oversight for five military treatment facilities from Mobile, Alabama, to New Orleans, Louisiana, coordinating care for 80,000 beneficiaries along the Gulf Coast.

“This is a momentous achievement for our hospital,” Kulis said. “The safety of our patients is our most important priority and the focus of every interaction, decision, and patient-care plan. I am incredibly proud of our team members, whose unwavering dedication and exceptional performance have kept our patients safe in our care.”

OPEN TO FEEDBACK
Along with assessing patient safety measures, Leapfrog participation is also intended to foster transparency with patients and the public. Additionally, military hospitals can use the data to measure and compare their performance to other participating hospitals and healthcare systems, leading to continual process improvement.

“Our voluntary participation in Leapfrog, the Joint Commission, and other accrediting bodies enables us to see where we’re excelling and where we may need to improve,” Harrell said. “These results are a great indicator that our focus remains where it belongs: on our people and on our patients.”

To learn more the Military Health System’s commitment to patient safety and transparency, visit the Quality, Patient Safety and Access hub, https://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Access-Cost-Quality-and-Safety/Patient-Portal-for-MHS-Quality-Patient-Safety-and-Access-Information. From there, it’s a quick search to see how military medical facilities score on industry standard measures for patient safety, health care outcomes, quality of care, patient satisfaction, and access to care.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.