Four Geisinger hospitals recognized by patient safety group as leaders in caring for people with diabetes
DANVILLE, Pa. – Four Geisinger hospitals have been named Recognized Leaders in Caring for People Living with Diabetes, a designation bestowed by The Leapfrog Group in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association.
The recognition means that Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre and Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital met the most rigorous standards for delivering safe, high-quality care to patients with diabetes. Geisinger’s hospitals were among 17 to achieve the distinction across the country. With four hospitals recognized, Geisinger has the most recognized facilities in the country.
“This recognition highlights our decade-long and systemwide multidisciplinary approach to helping our patients with diabetes manage their disease, reach their personal treatment goals and avoid complications,” said Brian Jameson, D.O., Geisinger director of endocrinology. “A big thank you to all our colleagues in nursing, pharmacy, primary care, endocrinology, clinical nutrition and information technology who made the programs and practices to improve diabetes care part of the Geisinger culture. We look forward to the future and continuing our efforts to improve the lives of our patients with diabetes.”
Hospitals were assessed based on key indicators that demonstrate the highest level of training on caring for diabetic patients, including:
- Evaluating policies and protocols that support patient-centered care
- Adherence to evidence-based guidelines in preparing patients for surgery as well as managing all diabetic patients in the hospital
- Implementation of robust planning for high-risk diabetes patients from the day of admission to discharge and facilitating a seamless transition from hospital to home.
Robert Gabbay, M.D., chief scientific and medical officer at the American Diabetes Association, emphasized the importance of this recognition. "There is an immense need to ensure hospitals provide safe, patient-centered care for all people who live with diabetes,” he said. “Hospitals recognized through this program are leading the way."
“Eight million people living with diabetes are hospitalized each year in the United States, and a disturbing number of them experience safety breakdowns due to preventable medical errors,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This program is a powerful tool to promote facilities that can appropriately accommodate and safely manage care for these at-risk patients.”
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. Leapfrog publishes letter grades for hospitals based on how safe they are for patients with the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. Leapfrog also sets standards for safety and quality and reports to the public through the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey. Follow us on Twitter (@TheLeapfrogGroup), Facebook (The Leapfrog Group), LinkedIn (The Leapfrog Group)and Instagram (@TheLeapfrogGroup) and sign up for our newsletter.
About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 83 years, the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to improve the quality of life for the over 136 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life®. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 126 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,700 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $15 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
