Mount Nittany Medical Center has received statewide recognition for it’s outstanding performance in patient safety from the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) through its 2023 Excellence in Patient Safety Recognition program. The recognition honors Pennsylvania’s top-performing hospitals that have demonstrated low rates of health care-associated infections.
According to Upendra Thaker, MD, FIPP, CPE, Chief Medical Officer, Mount Nittany Medical Center and Medical Staff Services, “It is an honor to receive this recognition from HAP. Patient safety is our top priority, and I’m grateful to the dedicated staff and providers at Mount Nittany Medical Center who are committed to providing high-quality care. It is because of them that the Centre region can rely on us as their trusted healthcare provider.”
Mount Nittany Medical Center is one of 29 hospitals in the state to receive this recognition. HAP identifies top-performing hospitals using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network. To be recognized, hospitals must perform better than the mean standardized infection ratio in three key measures: central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, and Clostridioides difficile infections.
“HAP is proud to recognize the hospital teams with exemplary results from their efforts to continuously improve the quality and safety of patient care,” HAP President and CEO Nicole Stallings said. “This year, more hospitals met the criteria to be recognized than any other year since this program began. This speaks to the Pennsylvania hospital community’s strong commitment to patient safety.”
Mount Nittany Health actively works to contribute to HAP and the profession. Most recently at the HAP Patient Safety, Quality, and Equity Symposium held in Harrisburg, Misty Knapp, MN, MFT, Lead Psychiatric Case Manager at Mount Nittany Medical Center, presented on the topic “Streamlining the Process for Behavioral Health Patients in the Emergency Department.” The two-day symposium featured speakers from across the state, and covered a wide range of topics from workforce optimization to patient safety and care. It attracted leaders, providers, and executives involved in patient safety, quality, and health equity.
Earlier this year, Mount Nittany Medical Center received a Five-Star Quality Rating by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the fifth consecutive reporting period, and was also recently named a “World’s Best Hospital 2023” and “America’s Best Maternity Hospitals” by Newsweek and has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of ApprovalTM for quality care and patient safety. In addition, the American Heart Association has honored Mount Nittany Medical Center with the 2023 Get with the Guidelines Gold Plus Award.