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Recognizing Excellence in Patient Safety

In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, patient safety remains a pivotal concern for hospitals and patients alike. On March 11, 2025, Healthgrades, the leading platform for finding healthcare providers, revealed the recipients of its prestigious 2025 Patient Safety Excellence Award™. This year’s recognition honors an impressive 442 hospitals across 40 states, showcasing the top 10% of medical facilities dedicated to ensuring the highest standard of care while preventing serious safety incidents during patient stays.

Patient safety is integral to achieving optimal health outcomes. Hospitals that excel in this domain work diligently to minimize the risk of severe injuries and complications that can arise during hospitalizations. According to Healthgrades, if all hospitals could perform at the level of the 2025 award winners, there is a staggering potential to have avoided a total of 100,891 patient safety incidents between 2021 and 2023. This statistic underscores the critical role that these award-winning facilities play in enhancing patient experiences and outcomes.

Dr. Debra Gradick, a senior physician consultant at Healthgrades, emphasized the importance of patient safety, stating, "As one of the most critical aspects of hospital quality, patient safety should always be at the forefront for consumers seeking the best care possible. The Patient Safety Excellence Award provides transparent, data-driven insights on those hospitals that prioritize this essential aspect of care, allowing consumers to make well-informed decisions regarding their healthcare.”

The criteria for the Patient Safety Excellence Award are based on a thorough analysis of inpatient MedPAR data, which evaluates clinical performance across 13 patient safety indicators (PSIs). These PSIs represent serious, potentially preventable complications that can adversely affect patients. Notably, Healthgrades found that four PSIs accounted for nearly 76% of all patient safety events recorded from 2021 to 2023. Patients receiving care at a hospital recognized as a 2025 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient have shown to be at a markedly lower risk for these adverse events:

• - In-hospital falls leading to fractures: Reduced risk by 54%.
• - Collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery: Risk decreased by 54.8%.
• - Pressure sores or bedsores acquired in hospital: 69.4% lower risk.
• - Catheter-related bloodstream infections in hospital: 72% reduction in risk.

This analysis brings to light the tangible effects of prioritizing patient safety, not just in numbers but in the real-life impacts on patients' recovery and comfort. To explore the full list of hospitals recognized in the 2025 Patient Safety Excellence Award and delve deeper into the methodology employed by Healthgrades, interested parties can visit healthgrades.com.

As healthcare continues to transform, solutions that empower patients with the information they need to make informed choices have never been more essential. Healthgrades stands at the forefront of this movement, ensuring that millions of Americans can easily connect with doctors and hospitals while relying on transparent data that highlights quality and safety.

Recognizing top performers in patient safety is not just a celebration of achievements; it's a call to action for hospitals nationwide to enhance their safety protocols and scrutiny. Healthgrades remains committed to this mission, arming healthcare consumers with vital insights as they navigate their healthcare journeys. As new challenges and revelations arise in the field, the emphasis on patient safety will undoubtedly grow, shaping the future of healthcare for generations to come.