Patient safety remains one of the most important measures of healthcare quality. Hospitals across the country are working to reduce preventable complications, strengthen care processes, and ensure nurses have the resources needed to deliver safe care. This year, those efforts were recognized by the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award, a national recognition that highlights hospitals achieving exceptional performance in patient safety.
Healthgrades reported that “if all hospitals performed as well as the 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award winners, 100,819 patient safety events could have been avoided between 2022 and 2024.”
We are proud that nine AcuityPlus hospital partners were included among this year’s award recipients, placing them among the top performers for preventing serious safety events during hospital stays. Their recognition reflects a deep commitment to protecting patients, supporting nurses, and continuously improving care delivery.
As hospitals continue to navigate rising patient acuity and workforce challenges, tools that provide clear visibility into patient care needs and nursing workload are essential to sustaining strong patient safety performance.
What the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award Measures
The Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award recognizes hospitals that rank in the top 10% nationwide for patient safety performance. The designation is based on a comprehensive analysis of hospital performance across 14 patient safety indicators. Each indicator represents serious, potentially preventable complications that can occur during hospitalization.
To evaluate hospital performance, Healthgrades analyzes Medicare inpatient data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and applies the patient safety indicators developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. These indicators measure complications such as in-hospital falls with fracture, pressure injuries acquired in the hospital, catheter-related bloodstream infections, respiratory failure following surgery, and other adverse events that hospitals work hard to prevent.
Hospitals eligible for the award must meet strict quality standards. This includes having reporting sufficient data across multiple safety indicators and demonstrating strong overall clinical performance. Because the methodology uses risk-adjusted data across multiple years of patient outcomes, hospitals receiving the award demonstrate consistent performance in preventing harm and protecting patients during their hospital stay.
Why Nurse Workload Matters for Patient Safety
While policies and clinical protocols play important roles in safety, patient outcomes are closely tied to the conditions in which care teams work. Nurses provide continuous monitoring, recognize early signs of deterioration, coordinate treatments, and implement the safety practices that help prevent complications.
When nurse workloads become unbalanced or patient complexity exceeds available resources, it becomes more difficult to maintain the vigilance required for safe care. Hospitals that achieve strong patient safety outcomes often focus on ensuring nurse assignments reflect the true acuity and care demands of their patients. This allows nurses to intervene earlier and respond quickly when conditions change.
Balanced staffing supports better communication, improved monitoring, and fewer missed care opportunities. These are all factors that contribute to stronger patient safety performance.
Supporting Safer Care with AcuityPlus
Hospitals recognized for excellence in patient safety often rely on data to guide staffing decisions and improve care delivery. AcuityPlus provides leaders with objective insight into patient acuity and nursing workload by translating real-time clinical documentation into clear measures of care needs. By automatically assessing patient acuity and total nursing workload, AcuityPlus helps nurse leaders create assignments that better align staffing resources with actual patient needs. This visibility allows teams to adjust quickly as patient conditions change and helps prevent situations where nurses become overloaded.
When nurses have balanced assignments and adequate time to focus on patient monitoring and care coordination, hospitals are better positioned to prevent complications and maintain strong patient safety outcomes.
Strengthening Patient Safety with Better Visibility into Care Needs
Patient safety is built through a combination of culture, clinical expertise, and the systems that support frontline caregivers. Hospitals that prioritize safe staffing and real-time insight into patient needs are better equipped to prevent harm and deliver high-quality care.
AcuityPlus helps healthcare organizations strengthen patient safety by providing objective visibility into patient acuity and nursing workload. By aligning staffing with real patient needs, hospitals can support safer care environments for both patients and the nurses who care for them.
If your organization is looking to improve visibility into patient care demands and support safer staffing decisions, connect with us to learn how AcuityPlus can help strengthen patient safety across your organization.
