Nacogdoches Medical Center Earns 7th Consecutive 'A' Grade For Patient Safety

Nacogdoches, Texas, November 8, 2018 – For the seventh consecutive reporting period, Nacogdoches Medical Center, the hospital anchor of NMC Health Network, has earned an “A” grade for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, a nationally recognized organization dedicated to hospital performance improvements in the areas of quality and safety. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care. NMC is one of a select number of hospitals nationally to receive this top grade for patient safety, and the only hospital within a 75-mile radius to receive the honor in East Texas.

Chief Executive Officer, Philip Koovakada credits NMC employees and their passion for care as the driving force behind the organization’s success. “Hospitals vary in their processes and outcomes,” he said. “Our success, and the reason why we are the only hospital from here to Lufkin to receive an A, is because of the dedicated service and the drive to compassionately care for each patient that is engrained in our culture.

Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Safety Grade uses 28 measures of available safety data to assign grades to approximately 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice per year. Designed to inform the public so that they can protect themselves and their families, the score is peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. A study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, finds that a hospital's safety score has life-or-death consequences for patients. Patients at a D hospital have a 50 percent higher risk of avoidable death than patients at an A hospital. The study concluded that more than 33,000 lives could be saved each year if all hospitals had the same performance as those, like NMC, who received an A.

“This is the only national rating of how well hospitals protect patients from preventable harm and death, such as medical errors, infections, and injuries,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Receiving an ‘A’ Safety Grade means a hospital is among the best in the country for preventing these terrible problems and putting their patients first, 24 hours a day.”

The staff of NMC Health Network are committed to the communities where they live and serve. They work tirelessly to care for their neighbors and friends each day, relentlessly pursuing the organization’s Mission: To serve, heal and educate the community. This passion for the health and wellbeing of our community has resulted in many other recent accomplishments including:

• Primary Stroke Center Certification from the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Checkmark for Primary Stroke Centers
• The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for Chest Pain and Total Joint Replacement
• Commission on Cancer Accreditation through the American College of Surgeons
• Level IV Trauma Center Designation and Level II Special Care Nursery Designation by The Texas Department of State Health Services

“We are so proud of each of these accomplishments, as they reflect the hard work and dedication of our staff,” said Rita Greenville, Director of Clinical Quality at NMC. “We are a quality organization because that is what our community deserves. It is our responsibility and privilege to help our community live healthier and happier lives.”

To see Nacogdoches Medical Center’s full scores and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients and loved ones visiting the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org or follow The Hospital Safety Score on Twitter or Facebook. Consumers can also download the free Hospital Safety Score mobile app for Apple and Android devices.