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Teamwork and a commitment to quality are at the core of excellent healthcare. Cape Cod Hospital has been recognized as being in the top 5% of acute care hospitals, nationally, for their performance. It is the only hospital in Massachusetts to be among the top 5% of recipients. Cape Cod Hospital received the 2021 Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence AwardTM for patient safety and quality care. This distinction places Cape Cod Hospital among the top short-term acute care hospitals in the country in an assessment of patient safety data by Healthgrades, a leading national organization connecting patients with medical providers. “We have an unwavering focus on clinical quality and safe patient care and this designation is proof. Providing an outstanding patient experience remained our focus during COVID-19, and the contributions of all hospital staff were invaluable -- from physicians, nurses, techs and staff -- who put in the hard work in order to achieve his award. We have an incredible team,” said Michael K. Lauf, CEO and president of Cape Cod Healthcare. From 2017 through 2019, Cape Cod Hospital was evaluated on 14 safety and quality criteria, four of which account for 72% of all patient safety events: -Collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest -In-hospital falls resulting in hip fracture -Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital -Catheter-related bloodstream infections There were more than 190,000 potentially preventable patient safety events among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals between 2017 and 2019, according to Healthgrades’ evaluation methodology. If all hospitals performed better than expected, more than 100,000 of these could have been avoided. Healthgrades found that patients treated in hospitals receiving the Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average, between 50-60% less likely to encounter the most common of patient safety events. “The importance of hospital quality is now at the forefront of consumer’s minds, especially as we continue to navigate COVID-19,” said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer at Healthgrades. “We congratulate the recipients of the Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award for their ongoing commitment to upholding the highest quality standards for their patients and communities.”