Delray Medical Center & West Boca Medical Center announces today they both are recipients of the Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award^TM. This distinction places Delray Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center among the top 5% of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades, a leading resource connecting consumers, physicians and health systems.  This award comes during a time when many patients may be delaying care for new or chronic conditions that may become life threatening.  This designation is a testament to the focus on safety at these hospitals.  Both have implemented safety standards that are built upon deep clinical expertise, as well as continuous incorporation of CDC, CMS and state recommendations. They are a rigorous combination of infection prevention processes, training, testing, personal protective equipment and technology.   

“It is an honor to be recognized for our commitment to providing safe care, especially at a time when our community needs us most,” said Maggie Gill, chief executive officer of the Palm Beach Health Network and Delray Medical Center. “We are seeing cases where people are delaying care for things like strokes and heart attacks, which can lead to life threatening illnesses, and we want our patients to understand that our hospitals are safe places.  We have always cared for patients with infectious diseases, and we are prepared.  We have taken the appropriate steps, and we have the supplies needed to ensure appropriate safety standards are in place.”

During the study period (2016 through 2018), Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient hospitals demonstrated excellent performance in safeguarding patients in the Medicare population, as measured by objective outcomes—risk-adjusted patient safety indicator (PSI) rates—for 13 PSIs defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). A 14^th PSI included in the evaluation is Foreign Objects Left in Body During a Surgery or Procedure which is a “never” event and does not have an expected rate.

Healthgrades found that patients treated in hospitals receiving the Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average*:

• 48.3% less likely to experience a collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• 54.4% less likely to experience a hip fracture following surgery, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• 66.8% less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• 63% less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired at the hospital, than patients treated at non- recipient hospitals.

In addition, if all hospitals in the country performed at the level of award recipients for each of the 13 patient safety indicators, 110,864 patient safety events could have been avoided.*

“Consumers might not know that information around patient safety is readily available and should be considered when researching healthcare options,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades. “We commend the recipients of the 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Award for their dedication to providing excellent care for their patients.”

“West Boca Medical Center is proud to accept this prestigious distinction as one of the safest hospitals in the nation, and this has always been our goal,” said George Rizzuto, chief executive officer of West Boca Medical Center. “We recognize people in our community may be waiting to get care for chronic or new conditions over the last few months.  This award affirms that our hospital is always ready and prepared to provide safe care.”

Delray Medical Center has received the Patient Safety Excellence Award for three consecutive years (2018-2020), and Delray Medical Center has been recognized as a Recipient of Healthgrades^® 'America's 50 Best Hospitals' Award^™ for 14 consecutive years (2007-2020).

In addition to being recognized with the Patient Safety Excellence Award for the third consecutive year (2018-2020), West Boca Medical Center has been recognized as a Five-Star Recipient for Vaginal Delivery and C-Section Delivery (2015-2019).

View Healthgrades hospital quality methodologies.

*Statistics are calculated from Healthgrades Patient Safety Ratings and Excellence Award methodology which is based primarily on AHRQ technical specifications (Version 2019.0.1) to MedPAR data for years 2016 through 2018 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.