DCHS earns accolades for patient safety

NOVI — For a third year in a row, Dickinson County Healthcare System has received an Excellence Award for patient safety from the Economic Alliance for Michigan.

DCHS is among eight Michigan hospitals being recognized for excellence and the only one in the Upper Peninsula.

The Economic Alliance for Michigan is a nonprofit group comprised of Michigan’s largest employers and unions. The EAM Hospital Patient Safety Awards salute hospitals consistently earning high marks in patient safety and quality of care. This is the third year for the awards.

John Schon, DCHS administrator and CEO, said the EAM award is the result of “a strong and coordinated effort between our physicians and hospital staff to consistently provide the best care we can for our loyal patients that utilize our health care services.”

Schon added, “It is this team approach to caring for our patients that makes the difference and has allowed DCHS to be recognized as one of the safest hospitals in Michigan over the past three years by the EAM.”

Hospitals can achieve two different awards — the Excellence Award and the Improvement Award.

Besides DCHS, Michigan hospitals receiving the Excellence Award are DMC Huron Valley-Sinai, Commerce Township; MidMichigan Medical Center, Midland; Spectrum Health Blodgett, Grand Rapids; Spectrum Health Butterworth, Grand Rapids; Spectrum Health Ludington; St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea; and Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

The four hospitals in the state receiving the Improvement Award are Lakeland Medical Center, St. Joseph; McLaren Macomb Hospital, Mount Clemens; St. Joseph Mercy Livingston, Howell; St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Pontiac.

DCHS is among only three hospitals statewide to have earned the Excellence Award each year since its inception. The others are DMC Huron Valley-Sinai, Commerce Township and Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

“With one in four patients experiencing an adverse event during a hospital visit and the cost of hospital mistakes soaring into the billions, the members of EAM are dedicated more than ever to improving patient safety in the state to help lower health care costs,” EAM president Bret Jackson said. “We applaud this year’s recipients and thank them for their continued dedication to patient safety and hospital transparency.”

Hospitals receiving the Excellence Award must report to The Leapfrog Group survey for two consecutive years, 2016 and 2017, and maintain all “A’s” with Hospital Safety Grade in four consecutive grading terms — spring and fall of 2016 and 2017.

Hospitals receiving the Improvement Award must report to The Leapfrog Group survey for two consecutive years, again 2016 and 2017, and show letter grade improvements for four consecutive grading terms with Hospital Safety Grade, again spring and fall 2016 and 2017. During the four terms, the grades must not trend backwards year-to-year. The last term grade in fall 2017 must be at least a “B” to qualify and hospitals must improve by two letter grades during the four terms.