USA Health wins third national award for safety improvement

By Carol McPhail
[email protected]

For the third year in a row, USA Health has won a national award from healthcare consultant Press Ganey for improving safety by significantly reducing serious safety events.

USA Health became one of 15 healthcare systems to win the 2025 Human Experience (HX) Achievement Award for SSER Reduction, achieving a 75% reduction in its system-level serious safety event rate. A serious safety event is a variation from expected practice that results in death, permanent harm, or severe temporary harm.  

“Receiving this award for the third year in a row underscores our dedication to safety as our highest priority,” said Michael Chang, M.D., chief physician executive and system chief medical officer for USA Health. “We are always working to improve and ensure the safest possible care for our patients.”

This year, 211 health systems and 46 health plans across the United States were recognized with awards by Press Ganey for excellence in safety, clinical quality, nursing excellence and experience. USA Health won the SSER Reduction award in 2023 and 2024, achieving 74% and 73% reductions in system-level serious safety event rates, respectively.

“This recognition reflects USA Health’s commitment to safety and quality,” said Rachel Seaman, M.D., an internal medicine physician and a chief quality officer for USA Health. “We continually evaluate our processes, apply data-driven strategies, and work collaboratively to improve care and achieve the safest possible outcomes for our patients.”

Over the past year, USA Health more fully integrated Providence Hospital, acquired in 2023, into its Safety Starts With Me and Safety Coach programs. It also launched the SHIELD reporting system to strengthen the focus on safety, quality, and process improvement with the goal of reducing events of harm. As a result, event reporting was improved, and consistent feedback was prioritized.

“We are also working to optimize huddles at both the hospital and departmental levels, supported by the rollout of an electronic huddle module that will be implemented across the system,” said Becky Pomrenke, MSN, RN, CNL, CNS, director of patient safety for the health system. “Looking ahead to the next fiscal year, we have incorporated leader rounding into our safety strategy — designed to reinforce our core values and elevate safety, with zero harm as our top priority.”

Pomrenke said the journey toward high reliability will continue with the introduction of CANDOR (Communication and Optimal Resolution) a framework and toolkit that helps healthcare organizations respond transparently, compassionately, and fairly when patients are harmed by adverse events. USA Health is also introducing peer-to-peer support training, and developing patient and family advisory councils, further strengthening its commitment to safety, transparency, and partnership.

Other winners of the 2025 HX Achievement Award for SSER Reduction include Ardent Health, Catholic Health, City of Hope Chicago, Columbia Memorial Hospital, Cook County Health Chicago, Hunterdon Medical Center, Mackenzie Health, Northeast Georgia Health System, Novant Health, Roper St. Francis Healthcare, Samaritan Health Services, Texas Health Resources, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and UW Health Northern Illinois.

The award is part of Press Ganey’s annual ranking of the top hospitals and health systems in the nation. Press Ganey works with more than 41,000 healthcare facilities in its mission to empower organizations to deliver the best experiences, turning data into insights that drive innovation and action.