NCH Achieves Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award

Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH) announced today that it has been recognized as a Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence AwardTM recipient. This distinction places NCH among the top 10% of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting patients and providers. NCH was recognized as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals in 2021.

NCH was also recognized with the following distinctions in 2021:

• One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care™ for 4 years in a row (2018-2021)
• One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention™ for two years in a row (2020-2021)
• One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care™ for 5 years in a row (2017-2021)
• One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Pulmonary Care™ for 3 years in a row (2019-2021)
• One of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Critical Care™ for 3 years in a row (2019-2021)
• Neurosciences Excellence Award™ for 5 years in a row (2017-2021)

From 2017 through 2019, there were 190,273 potentially preventable patient safety events among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals.* And, if all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to hospitals performing better than expected on each of 13 Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) evaluated by Healthgrades, on average, 106,052 patient safety events could have been avoided.*

During this time frame, four patient safety indicators accounted for 72% of all patient safety events (collapsed lung, hip fracture due to an in-hospital fall, pressure or bed sores and catheter-related bloodstream infections). Healthgrades found that patients treated in hospitals receiving the Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average*:

• 50.3% 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.*
• 60.3% less likely to experience an in-hospital fall resulting in hip fracture, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.*
• 66.5% less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.*
• 65.4% less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non- recipient hospitals.*

“We are extremely proud of this distinction that recognizes Northwest Community Healthcare for our commitment to patient safety. To achieve this recognition during the global pandemic is a testament to the quality of the people in our organization. From our clinical teams to our support staff, this was accomplished by the collective effort of everyone in this organization whose mission is to improve the health of the communities we serve and to meet the individuals’ healthcare needs. Despite extraordinary circumstances during the last year, we were able to remain focused on our patients and their safety above all else,” said NCH Chief Medical Officer, Alan Loren, M.D., PhD.

“The importance of hospital quality is now at the forefront of consumer’s minds, especially as we continue to navigate COVID-19. We congratulate the recipients of the Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award for their ongoing commitment to upholding the highest quality standards for their patients and communities,” said Brad Bowman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades.

During the study period (2017 through 2019), Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient hospitals demonstrated excellent performance in patient safety within 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 14th PSI is included in the evaluation - Foreign Objects Left in Body During a Surgery or Procedure – which is a “never” event and does not have an expected rate.

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 2020.0.1) to MedPAR data for years 2017 through 2019 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.

About Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH)

In January 2021, Northwest Community Healthcare (NCH) joined NorthShore University HealthSystem. The NCH Arlington Heights campus features a 509-bed hospital with a Level II Trauma Center, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and dedicated pediatric emergency department. Throughout the northwest suburbs, NCH has 23 doctor’s offices; five immediate care centers; seven physical rehabilitation sites; and 13 lab locations. Also in 2021 NCH was named one of Healthgrades™ American’s 100 Best Hospitals. For a comprehensive listing of physicians and programs visit nch.org.

Headquartered in Evanston, NorthShore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system that includes 6 hospitals—Evanston, Glenbrook, Highland Park, Skokie, Swedish and now NCH. Together, the NorthShore system provides clinical excellence and community-focused care across Chicagoland. NorthShore consistently ranks as a Top 15 Major Teaching Hospital in the United States, with an established reputation for exceptional patient care and is a national pioneer in the implementation of advanced health information technology. For more information, please visit NorthShore.org and SwedishCovenant.org.