HCA Gulf Coast
June 16, 2020

HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division announced today that four hospitals in the division are recipients of the Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence AwardTM. This distinction places HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe, HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center, Rio Grande Regional Hospital, and Texas Orthopedic Hospital among the top 5% of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.

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 14th 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.*

"At HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division, we are committed to delivering superior, patient-centered care to every patient every visit," said Erin Erb, HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division vice president of quality. "I am exceptionally proud of HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe, HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center, Rio Grande Regional Hospital and Texas Orthopedic Hospital for obtaining the Healthgrades 2020 Patient Safety Excellence Awards. This represents our colleague's commitment to providing superior quality care.";

"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."

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.