Carol Comegno

@CarolComegno

EVESHAM — The Virtua Health hospitals in Marlton and Voorhees have been named among the 98 top U.S. hospitals by a national rating agency.

Virtua Marlton and Virtua Voorhees were selected among all the hospitals participating in an annual national survey conducted by The Leapfrog Group. They were the only two hospitals in the Philadelphia-South Jersey region in the Top Hospitals rating category in 2015, an achievement hospital officials called prestigious.

All three of Virtua’s hospitals earned A ratings in patient safety for the third time based on national metrics set by Leapfrog Group, including Virtua Memorial in Mount Holly. Virtua Health is the largest nonprofit health care system in South Jersey.

Hospital executives and other staff celebrated the accomplishment Tuesday at a news conference at the Marlton hospital at 90 Brick Road near Route 73.

"Today we are here to celebrate Virtua receiving straight A's from the Leapfrog Group for the second year in a row and now the two top hospital awards of distinction," said Virtua president and CEO Richard P. Miller. "The Leapfrog report helps showcase how well hospitals protect patient from errors, injuries and infections, and I want to thank and acknowledge our physicians, nurses and all of the staff who work tirelessly to provide the Virtua experience."

While other area hospitals also had A scores for 2015, the two Virtua sites were among 98 with the highest scores in the nation. The Voorhees facility also was in the top category in 2014.

Miller said the Mount Holly hospital score was only one-one hundredth of a point lower than the Voorhees score and just missed the Top Hospital list.

The Leapfrog Group's survey is used by insurance companies and employers.

Rep.Thomas MacArthur, R-N.J., presented Miller with a congressional proclamation congratulating Virtua for "outstanding service and health care to the community."

"For you to get A's for service, I applaud you. To deliver high-quality care with compassion is doing God's work," MacArthur said.

In this new patient-focused health care era, Miller said Virtua is delivering what customers demand — lower costs, high-quality care and an improved experience.

“At Virtua, we are providing what the customer needs when they need it. We help our community to be well, get well and stay well."

Dr. John Matsinger, Virtua’s chief clinical officer, said Virtua has made much progress the past three years and have not only conducted multiple patient surveys but have acted on the results.

He said its hospitals have reduced the infection rate and the patient fall and injury rate and have dramatically reduced the number of C-sections for baby deliveries and increased the number of natural deliveries.

Rowan nears land sale to Inspira

In addition, he said Virtua now has a designated patient safety officer and senior leaders with work time dedicated for safety rounds.

Linda Schwimmer, president and CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, said Virtua is among the 91 percent of New Jersey hospitals participating in the rating survey conducted every six months.

“I have seen Virtua embrace transparency. What is laudable is that all three of the Virtua hospitals scored an A, which shows their system is focusing on patient safety and quality of service," she said.

Her organization is the regional representative for Leapfrog Group, which encourages all hospitals to participate in the survey for transparency for patient awareness.

Next year she said Leapfrog is adding a pilot program for on-site auditing.

Overall, the top hospitals tend to have lower infection rates, higher survival rates for high-risk procedures, decreased length of stay and fewer readmissions. Among other metrics included in the Leapfrog Hospital Survey that top hospitals tend to excel in are maternity care, evidence of a hospital’s ability to prevent medication errors and appropriate staffing to ensure quality of care.

Miller said the Top Hospital awards “inspire us to be the highest-quality care provider in New Jersey.”

Two other New Jersey hospitals were in the 2015 top group. They are St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston and Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood.

All three Kennedy Health System hospitals in Cherry Hill, Stratford and Washington Township had A ratings as of fall 2015.

For hospital ratings, visit leapfroggroup.org

Carol Comegno; (856) 486-2473; ccomegno@gannettnj.com