Nov 18, 2023 By Rick Shrum for The Observer-Reporter rshrum@observer-Reporter.Com 8 min read

For the second time this calendar year, WHS Washington Hospital got a stellar report card from the Leapfrog Group.

For the second time this calendar year, the group, a national nonprofit watchdog that sets standards for excellence in patient care, gave the Washington-based hospital an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2023. Leapfrog assigns A, B, C, D and F grades to general hospitals nationwide based on more than 30 national performance measures. Those measures reflect errors, accidents, injuries and infections – and the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

Brook Ward, president and CEO of Washington Health System, parent of Washington Hospital, said in a statement: “I am extremely proud of our team …  for achieving an ‘A’ Grade in hospital and patient safety for the second time this year.

“As the only hospital within a 25-mile radius to be awarded with a “A” grade, this recognition speaks to every member of our team’s wholehearted dedication to providing Great Patient Care. Thank you for all that you do.”

Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in a statement: “Earning an ‘A’ Grade means WHS Washington Hospital made a true commitment to put patients first. We congratulate the leadership, board, clinicians, staff and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.”

For more information on Washington Hospital’s grade, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

AHN

AHN-Led Research Confirms Long-Term Effectiveness of New Wearable Technology for Treating Migraine

Study Finds that Non-Pharmacological Therapy Can Safley Mitigate Migraine Symptoms

PITTSBURGH, PA (Nov. 7, 2023) – Migraine is the most common type of primary headache, affecting nearly 40 million Americans every year, but a new, non-pharmacological smartphone-controlled technology may be the answer for many who struggle with this debilitating condition, according to a recently published study led by headache specialists at Allegheny Health Network (AHN).

The AHN study assessed the extended effectiveness of Nerivio®, a wearable “remote electrical neuromodulation” (REN) device, for reducing migraine and associated symptoms. Developed by Theranica, the new technology is worn on the upper arm and uses REN to stimulate the arm’s peripheral nerve, triggering the body’s pain inhibition mechanisms, which eliminates or alleviates migraine symptoms.

Andrea Synowiec, DO, FAAN, assistant director of the Headache Center at AHN’s Neurosciences Institute, led the study, which was published this month in Advances in Therapy, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering clinical therapeutics and pharmaceutical research.

Dr. Synowiec and her co-authors examined the long-term utilization, clinical efficacy, and safety of Nerivio in a study of 409 participants who used the device for 12 consecutive months.

“When assessing the clinical benefits of therapies for chronic neurological disorders such as migraine, it’s important to evaluate patient adherence and clinical efficacy over a long period in order to eliminate possible waning of the treatment’s effectiveness over time,” said Dr. Synowiec.

“This large sample size study gives physicians and patients alike the evidence-based confidence that the impact and benefits of Remote Electrical Neuromodulation with Nerivio is sustainable over a long term,” she said. “Adherence to treatment is crucial to obtaining maximal efficacy, and the persistent 12-month adherence demonstrated in this study is very encouraging.”

Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by a throbbing headache on one side of the head. It has a variety of symptoms, though not all of them will be exhibited by every patient. Physical activity, lights, sounds, or certain smells can worsen migraine attacks, which can last for hours or days. They may or may not cause nausea.

Migraine is considered a primary headache disorder, meaning that the headache and other symptoms are the main medical condition, rather than being caused by another health issue.

According to Theranica, participants performed 39,531 treatments during the study period, with a monthly average of 8.05 treatments per patient. The study found that the non-disruptive nature of using Nerivio contributed to high adherence: the device can be worn under a shirt or jacket sleeve and is self-controlled through a user-friendly smartphone app, making it ideal for discreet usage even in places that are not private, such as school or the workplace. Notably, the rate of device-related adverse events was extremely low – at less than 2%. As for clinical efficacy, 74.1% of the participants reported consistent 2-hour pain relief, and 26% reported consistent pain freedom.

“With migraine being almost a life-long disease, patients need therapies they can rely on to help them maintain their quality of life and reduce the burden of the disease,” said Alon Ironi, CEO and co-founder of Theranica. “Whether you are a high school student, a police officer, or a musician, if you live with migraine, you want a trustworthy treatment that combines persistent high efficacy, extremely low side effects and ease of use.”

Neurologists at AHN’s Headache Center were among the first in the region to utilize Nerivio. The team also provides a full array of advanced medical and innovative, non-pharmacological therapies for patients who suffer from debilitating headache disorders.

To request an appointment at the AHN Headache Center, call (412) 578-3925 in Pittsburgh or (814) 452-7575 in Erie.

PITTSBURGH & Erie, PA — Three Allegheny Health Network (AHN) hospitals have earned the highest possible “A” grades in The Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2023 safety rating survey. This national report recognizes hospitals for the quality and safety of their patient’s care.

The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization committed to improving patients’ and purchasers’ health care quality and safety. Updated and published each spring and fall, the “Safety Grade” report assigns an A, B, C, D, or F grade to hospitals across the country, based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections, and other harm to patients under their care.

In the most recent report, AHN’s Allegheny General (AGH), Forbes, and Saint Vincent Hospitals (SVH) all received “A” grades.

“Throughout our hospital system, our primary aim is to eliminate preventable harm while consistently delivering exceptional patient care experience,” said Brian Parker, MD, AHN’s Chief Quality Officer. “An ‘A’ grade is a remarkable achievement.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 3,000 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed, and the results are accessible to the public.

As AHN’s flagship academic medical center, AGH is a leading provider of advanced critical care and home to some of the nation’s premier institutes for cancer care, cardiovascular medicine and surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, trauma, and organ transplantation, among other specialties. AGH has earned an “A” grade for five consecutive scoring periods in the Leapfrog Group’s bi-annual patient safety survey.

AHN Forbes has provided comprehensive, personalized care to residents of Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs for more than 40 years, and it is home to the community’s only Level 2 Trauma Center and its only obstetrics program, among many other services and specialties. Forbes has earned an “A” grade for three consecutive scoring periods in Leapfrog’s survey.

AHN Saint Vincent is a full-service tertiary hospital that provides the greater Erie County region with access to comprehensive health care services, including obstetrics and gynecologic surgery, cancer care, cardiovascular care, neurosurgery, and orthopedic surgery, among other specialties. This is Saint Vincent’s 7th consecutive “A” grade rating from Leapfrog.

“Our healthcare professionals, from physicians and nurses, to all those integral to maintaining hospital safety standards and cleanliness, deserve this recognition,” said Amy Cotton, DNP, Senior Vice President Quality and Safety. “These top scores underscore AHN’s culture of quality and safety and demonstrate ou

Award

Five Grassroots Leaders to Receive 2023 Community Sentinel Award

for Environmental Stewardship

When:

Thursday, November 9, 2023, 7-8:30 p.m. EST. Doors open at 6 p.m. for drinks and appetizers.

Where:

The award presentation will be held at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and livestreamed via Zoom. Advance registration is required for all attendees.

What:

The Community Sentinel Award for Environmental Stewardship is an annual award that honors environmental and social justice leaders from across the United States. The program is hosted by FracTracker Alliance and Halt the Harm Network.

Who:

Five recipients from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Louisiana will be presented with the 2023 Community Sentinel Award for Environmental Stewardship:

Gillian Graber, executive director of Protect PT, is working to protect residents of Pennsylvania’s Westmoreland and Allegheny counties from the impacts of fossil fuel activities, including fracking wastewater injection in Plum Borough.

Debra Ramirez, activist and founding member of Mossville Environmental Action Now, began her activism in the 1980s to advocate for environmental justice for Mossville, a historic Black community in Louisiana.

Sarah Martik, executive director of Center for Coalfield Justice, is involved in social and environmental advocacy efforts in Pennsylvania and beyond, including participation in current UN plastic pollution treaty negotiations.

Maury Johnson, board member of Preserve Monroe and West Virginia co-chair of Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights Coalition (POWHR), is a farmer and resident of Greenville, WV, who has been resisting the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

Anaïs Peterson, lead petrochemical campaigner at Earthworks, has co-led rapid response, watchdogging, organizing, and communications around the Shell Plastic plant in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.