Monthly Newsletter
March 2016
SurveyPreventable Infections Still Plague U.S. Hospitals
Leapfrog and Castlight Health join forces on a series of reports

Earlier this month, The Leapfrog Group, in partnership with Castlight Health, released the first of a series of five reports on the results of the 2015 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. The first report examines the rates of preventable infections in hospitals. 

The majority (75%) of reporting hospitals failed to meet Leapfrog's standards for central line infections and urinary tract infections. These infections are highly preventable, but they can be deadly for patients. 

"The good news is that a record number of hospitals make their infection rates public, which shows commendable transparency and candor within the hospital industry. The bad news is there are still too many infections." - Leah Binder, President and CEO, The Leapfrog Group.

President and CEO Leah Binder shares her advice

Five Lessons Health Care Leaders Are Learning From An Unlikely Source: Nuclear Power 
"Health care in the United States is not safe....With so many people 
getting hurt, many health care leaders are trying to import effective safety strategies
from other industries."
Read the post on Forbes.com >

Three Lessons for New Alliance to Fight Health Care Costs
"Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that 20 large U.S. companies joined together to fight high health care costs... With this kind of unified leadership, the Alliance promises to shake the foundations of our health care economy."
Read the post on Huffington Post Business >

Embarrassing New GAO Report On Hospital Safety Has Two Surprising Bright Spots
"Hospitals are flummoxed by the problem of patient safety, according to a report issued by the Government Accounting Office ...The report reveals three explanations on why hospitals find it so difficult to address patient safety."
Read the post on Forbes.com >
New hospital grades will be released in just one month!

Updated Hospital Safety Scores will be issued to over 2,500 hospitals this spring. Be sure to check to see if your hospital has improved. 

In consultation with our Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, Leapfrog has added some critical new measures to calculate a hospital's overall grade on safety. We have added two infection measures: MRSA and C. difficile. And for the first time, we are including patient-reported experience measures, including how well patients report their doctors and nurses communicate, and feedback on how long it takes for a staff member to respond when they request help. 

Tune in at the end of April for the latest grades!
New platform will be live on April 15

The online Leapfrog Hospital Survey platform has been updated and re-designed to improve the user experience. The new survey platform includes a re-designed survey dashboard, online survey tool, and link to the CPOE Evaluation Tool. 

The new online survey platform will not be available to hospitals until April 15, 2016. Beginning April 1st, hospitals can download the hard copy of the survey and other survey materials at www.leapfroghospitalsurvey.org.

The new platform is part of a bigger update to Leapfrog's digital offerings. Leapfrog's main website, as well as its public reporting capability, will relaunch April 1 with a new design, increased functionality, and useful educational content.
SurveyGet a Headstart on the 2016 Leapfrog Hospital Survey
Register for our Annual Users Group and sign up for the 2016 Survey Town Hall Calls

We invite all hospitals to join our interactive Users Group community to learn more about the Survey, receive technical assistance, and understand how to make the Survey work for them. 

Hospitals that join the Users Group will have access to:
  • Topical monthly technical assistance calls
  • Special webinars and presentations regarding Leapfrog standards
  • Presentations by Leapfrog's Expert Panel members

Free Town Hall calls will be held this spring to discuss the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and its measures in more detail. All hospitals planning to or considering participating in the Leapfrog Hospital Survey should attend one of these calls. Town Hall Calls will be held April 13 and May 19. Register here
SurveyIHC Forum & Expo
Access your free registration to the May 24-26 Event

Change is the new constant in health care and employee benefits. The Institute for HealthCare Consumerism constantly tracks the transformation and translates the chaos into clarity and into strategies and tactics that work. IHC FORUM & Expo is the main event where you can access the most current insights, innovations and industry leaders in one place. If your job depends on keeping pace with continuous health, wellness and benefits change, you must join us. 

Click here for a special offer provided by The Leapfrog Group to attend IHC FORUM & Expo May 24-26 in Atlanta, GA. 

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Hospital Safety Score, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. 

 

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