Our Commitment to Quality

Below is a listing of recent awards that show our hospital’s commitment to quality:

2009 Organ Donation Medal of Honor

Brigham and Women’s Hospital has received the 2009 Organ Donation Medal of Honor. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recognizes organizations for achieving and sustaining national goals for donation, including a donation rate of 75 percent or more of eligible donors at their facilities.

BWH Receives National Recognition for Exemplary Outcomes

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) has recognized Brigham and Women’s Hospital as one of  25 ACS NSQIP participating hospitals in the United States that have achieved exemplary outcomes for surgical patient care. ACS NSQIP is the only nationally validated quality improvement program for measuring and enhancing the care of surgical patients.

U.S. News & World Report: Best Hospitals Honor Roll 2009

Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is ranked as the number 10 hospital in the country on the 2009 U.S. News & World Report’s Honor Roll of America’s Best Hospitals, marking the 17th consecutive year that BWH has been on the honor roll. Notably, BWH took the number one spot in both Kidney Disease and Gynecology and placed in the top 10 for Heart and Heart Surgery, Rheumatology and Endocrinology. The hospital also ranked among the top 20 for Cancer, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Orthopedics, Respiratory Disorders and Urology.

AHA Gold Award

Brigham and Women’s Hospital recently received the American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines Gold Performance Achievement Award. The award recognizes Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of stroke care for at least two consecutive years.

UHC Quality and Accountability Top Performer

In 2007, for the third year in a row, the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) recognized Brigham and Women's Hospital for demonstrating excellence in delivering high-quality, safe, effective and equitable care to patients. Please click here for the full press release.

Leapfrog Group Top Hospital 2007

In 2007, for the third year in a row, Brigham and Women's Hospital was named to the Leapfrog Group’s list of "Top Hospitals" for making significant strides in quality and patient safety. Only forty-one hospitals nationwide received this distinction (33 adult and 8 children's).

Thomson: Top 100 & Top Performance Improvement Leader

Thomson Healthcare named BWH as one of the nation's top 100 hospitals and as a top performance improvement leader in 2007. This announcement appears in the August 6, 2007 issue of Modern Healthcare magazine.

American Heart Association: Get With the Guidelines

Brigham and Women's Hospital was one of 277 U.S. hospitals recognized for its cardiac and stroke patient care excellence by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines’ (GWTG) program in 2007. The GWTG program is a quality improvement program that helps hospitals ensure that patients consistently receive cardiac and stroke care in accordance with the most up-to-date guidelines and recommendations. Visit the GWTG website for more information.

Heart Failure 30-Day Death Rate Lower than the U.S. National Average

Based on July 2007 data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Hospital Compare Web site, Brigham and Women's Hospital was among the only 38 (out of 4,807) hospitals nationwide, and one of only three in Massachusetts, to have a 30-day heart failure death rate significantly better than the U.S. national average death rate of 11%. Go to the HHS Hospital Compare Web site for more information about this achievement.

Joint Commission: Gold Seal of Approval 2007

Brigham and Women's Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission, which is responsible for accrediting hospitals nationwide. BWH underwent the accreditation survey in January 2007 and was, once again, given full accreditation in April 2007. Based on the Joint Commission Quality Check, BWH has better-than-average care for both Heart Attack and Heart Failure. To see the full Quality Check report, or to learn more about the Joint Commission, please click here.