In 2019, just one year before COVID-19 gripped our community, Milford Regional re-committed to ensuring the delivery of high-quality, safe care for every patient through an investment in the Quality Department that raised the bar on not only reaching, but exceeding benchmarks in quality measures. That year, key individuals with recognized expertise and achievements in quality joined the Milford Regional team including Milford Regional’s Vice President for Clinical Transformation and Medical Staff Services/Chief Quality Officer Bert Thurlo-Walsh, MM, RN, CPHQ. As new positions were instituted, including Manager of Accreditation, Nursing Director of Quality and a Healthcare Data Analytics Manager, every member of the Milford Regional team embraced the word STRIVE,a word that would reflect the serious individual and collaborative energy that the team would devote to the institution-wide goal-driven focus on quality.
In FY 2021, while COVID-19 placed unprecedented demands on every member of the Milford Regional team, this dedication to quality care never wavered; it was apparent throughout every department, physician’s office and patient room. When we say, “quality is our foundation,” it is confirmed through local, regional and national recognitions.
One of the Nation’s Safest Hospitals
In the Fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Milford Regional received an unprecedented seventh consecutive “A” grade for hospital safety. This top national distinction uses up to 27 measures of safety data to evaluate more than 2700 hospitals across the country under the guidance of a national panel of experts. According to Leapfrog, a recognized national standard-bearer for hospital safety, hospitals that earn an “A” are national leaders in saving lives. Often ranked at the top of states with excellent healthcare institutions, Massachusetts is home to 102 hospitals and only eight of those have earned seven or more consecutive “A” grades for hospital safety. Milford Regional is one of them.
5-Star Rating from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recognized Milford Regional with a 5-Star overall hospital quality star rating in 2021, the highest rating given by this national agency. The CMS hospital quality star rating program uses measures from the following categories to determine an overall star rating: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, timely & effective care, and efficient use of medical imaging. CMS developed the star rating program to help consumers choose highly rated hospitals based on comparing data on the CMS hospital compare website. Milford Regional was one of 455 hospitals out of 4,586 across the United States to achieve a 5-star rating, and was one of just 12 hospitals to receive 5 stars in Massachusetts.
Milford Regional’s Maternity Center of Distinction
Milford Regional’s Maternity Center was recognized by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts with a Blue Distinction® Centers+ for Maternity Care designation, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Racial and ethnic disparities are persistent and widespread across maternal healthcare, primarily driven by socioeconomic status, geographic location, and implicit provider bias. Compared to similarly developed countries such as Canada, Germany, and Australia, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate (MMR). To help address these gaps in care and to help ensure better health for mothers, The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association enhanced its quality evaluation for Maternity Care. Milford Regional has met the rigorous Blue Distinction Centers+ quality selection criteria for maternity care and we are extremely proud of the dedication to quality that is ever-present in Milford Regional’s Maternity Center.
Cancer Program Earns National Accreditation
The Commission on Cancer (CoC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has granted three-year accreditation to the cancer program at Milford Regional. To earn voluntary CoC accreditation, a cancer program must meet or exceed the CoC quality care standards, be evaluated every three years through a survey process and maintain levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive patient-centered care. As a CoC-accredited cancer center, Milford Regional takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer as a complex group of diseases that requires consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists and other cancer specialists.
The Breast Center at Milford Regional Earns National Accreditation
The National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), granted three-year accreditation to Milford Regional’s Breast Center in 2021. The accreditation is only given to those centers that have committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance.
High Performing Hospital by U.S. News & World Report
Each year U.S. News & World Report ranks more than 5,000 hospitals nationwide and provides “high-performing” distinctions to the top 10% in each of the procedures/categories they evaluate. An overall rating of high performing indicates a hospital was significantly better than the national average in a given procedure or condition. Milford Regional was ranked high performing for treatment in three areas by U.S. News & World Report: heart failure, kidney failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
American Heart Association Stroke Gold Plus
Milford Regional has long been recognized for its excellence in treating patients who have suffered from a stroke. The American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines®Gold Plus award is considered the most advanced level of recognition to highlight institutions that have consistently complied with the American Heart Association’s Quality Measures when treating patients with stroke. In 2021, Milford Regional also met specific scientific guidelines as a Primary Stroke Center featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to the emergency department.
Patients Rank Us #1
In 2021, MyFM Media, owners of radio stations MyFM101.3 and WMRC 1490, surveyed the region to get a sense of who the trusted resources were in 11 categories including medical services. Over 1200 nominations were received in just two weeks and Milford Regional rose to the top with a gold recognition for Best Hospital. This type of honor shines through as a true reflection of how Milford Regional is serving the community and we are proud to have been recognized in this inaugural Quest for the Best.