EvergreenHealth is pleased to announce it has been honored with Washington State Hospital Association’s “Achieving Best Care” award for its outstanding achievement in making health care safer. The Kirkland-based health system received the annual award for its efforts in reducing patient harm in key areas identified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

EvergreenHealth was recognized at WSHA’s 83rd Annual Meeting on Oct. 8, for its achievements in decreasing preventable hospital-acquired conditions in several key areas including catheter-associated urinary tract infection, central line-associated bloodstream infection, Clostridium difficile, surgical site infection, venous thromboembolism, as well as falls and early elective deliveries.

“As health care providers, patient safety is at the center of every decision we make and every interaction we have with patient, families, and our colleagues in clinical care. This achievement from WSHA reflects the focus our quality leaders dedicate to constant improvement across key quality measures, which is only achieved when every individual across our organization is committed to absolute safety,” said EvergreenHealth CEO Bob Malte. “We are proud that our outcomes are worthy of recognition from our peers.”

Health systems across Washington were categorized and scored according to their size, with top performers achieving the highest scores in reducing patient harm in key strategies. EvergreenHealth performed in the top 25 percent compared to other medical centers of its size and is one of just 10 hospitals in the state to receive the “Achieving Best Care” award.

“When it comes to our hospitals’ achievements in patient safety, Washington state has so much to be proud of,” said WSHA Senior Vice President for Patient Safety Carol Wagner. “We’re working on the biggest challenges of health care delivery, and our hospitals and health systems are consistently pushing for higher achievements on more measures. We’re glad to be able to give them the recognition they deserve.”

WSHA represents more than 100 community hospitals, health systems and other health-related organizations, working to improve Washington residents’ well-being by being involved in all matters affecting the delivery, quality, accessibility, affordability and continuity of health care.

For more information about EvergreenHealth, visit www.evergreenhealth.com or call 425-899-2621.