Hospital earns ‘A’ in patient care and safety
St. Joseph’s Hospital-North has earned the top “A” grade three consecutive times from the Leapfrog Group, a national organization that sets a standard for excellence in patient care and safety. The Lutz hospital received another “A” grade in Leapfrog’s Fall 2023 Hospital Safety Grades released Nov. 6, according to a news release.
St. Joseph’s Hospital-North also earned an “A” in Leapfrog’s spring 2023 and fall 2022 grades. Leapfrog releases grades twice annually.
The Leapfrog Group collects and analyzes data about infections, accidents, injuries, and errors at nearly 3,000 general hospitals, and assigns letter grades ranging from “A” to “F,” releasing the grades to the public.
“This accomplishment, attained for three consecutive ratings periods, exemplifies the dedication, focus and attention to detail that our hospital applies to patient safety,” said Sara Dodds, St. Joseph’s Hospital-North president, in the release.
“I congratulate our team members and medical staff for putting patient safety at the forefront of our priorities and responsibilities. The consistent “A” grades in this national report card reflects their efforts and is a strong representation to patients, their families and the public of the quality, safe care we provide at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North,” Dodds said.
A walk with a purpose
Members of the GFWC Woman’s Club participated in the annual Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, along with the Juniorette Club, Little Women of Lutz. The women also manned the Welcome Booth and distributed water to participants. A donation of $1,500 was made to the American Cancer Society in support of medical advances in eradicating breast cancer. For more information about the club, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakes.org or its Facebook page.
Family autism training
The University of South Florida (USF) CARD center’s (Center for Autism and Related Disabilities) Baby Bulls virtual training series is for parents and caregivers of children ages 1 to 6 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or who are in the process of determining a diagnosis of ASD.
The goal of the virtual series is to help prepare families to be active participants in a child’s positive developmental growth.
Some of the topics include: Understanding autism, understanding and preventing problem behavior, promoting communication and social engagement, advocacy and understanding benefits, and safety and the child with ASD.
The next session is Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m. Families must be registered with CARD USF (http://card-usf.fmhi.usf.edu/). To register for the meeting, visit tinyurl.com/zwtstw59.
Upgrades elevate emergency care
AdventHealth Heart of Florida in Davenport recently completed a multimillion dollar renovation to elevate the level of emergency care the hospital offers to the community. Hospital, business and community leaders celebrated with a ribbon-cutting on Nov. 8.
Ten new rooms have been added to the emergency room providing more comfort and privacy for patients and their families, bringing the total number of ER beds to 37, according to a news release.
The expansion also includes renovations to the outpatient and emergency registration areas to streamline the process, enabling patients to be seen and treated quickly.
This hospital renovation is a key part of AdventHealth’s growth strategy to increase access to high-quality health care options in Polk County and the surrounding communities, the release said.
The project also includes updating the façade of the hospital and adding a new, larger chapel next to the main entrance.
A tranquility garden will be accessible to visitors, patients and team members from the chapel to provide a place of reflection, peace and serenity while they are at the hospital.
