Consumer Reports Names Woodwinds One of Safest Hospitals in U.S.

HealthEast officials on Thursday announced that Consumer Reports has named in Woodbury as “one of the safest hospitals in Minnesota and one of the safest hospitals in the U.S.”

With a score of 65, the Woodbury hospital was listed as No. 1 out of about 150 hospitals ranked in the state, according to a release from HealthEast, which includes Woodwinds as part of its system.

Several factors led to the distinction, including “low re-admissions, low complications and low mortality,” the release says.

“These rankings demonstrate HealthEast’s longstanding dedication to safe and high quality patient care,” Craig Svendsen, MD, chief medical quality officer at HealthEast, said in a statement. “There remains much more to do in these areas, but it is wonderful to see that our efforts are bringing higher quality of care to our patients.”

Cindy Bultena, chief nursing officer with Woodwinds, said overall patient care was part of the reason for the distinction.

“We have worked hard to create a culture where our staff work together with meaningful collaboration as they focus on creating the ultimate patient experience,” she said. “Our culture supports staff to be their best and have confidence in bringing patient safety concerns to the forefront and then helping to find the best solutions.”

The release says Consumer Reports used a 100-point scale based on:

• patient survey results;
• assessments of data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid; and
• state government and Leapfrog Group data in six categories: re-admissions, hospital-acquired infections, CT scan overuse, communication about new medications and discharge, complications and mortality.

Read more about the  new Safe Hospital ratings in the August 2012 Consumer Reports Magazine or visit the magazine online.

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Sign up for our newsletter