Awards, Accreditations & Memberships

 

Middlesex Health regularly ranks among the best health systems in the United States. As a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, we offer the most advanced medical treatment right here in Connecticut. 

From Magnet Nursing to recognition for providing equitable care, we are proud of the work we are doing and the team members who continue to cultivate an environment of excellence. Here are just a few of the many awards, honors, and distinctions we've received.


Healthgrades 2023

healthgrades 100

To learn more about these awards and how Healthgrades determines their award recipients, click here.


Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

Leapfrog 2023

In 2023, Middlesex Health was awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for the 6th time in a row by The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. 

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and patient harm. 


Connecticut Top Workplace

Top 2023

Middlesex Health has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2023 honor by the Hartford Courant for the seventh year in a row. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by research partner Energage, LLC, a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools.

Our Designations

The Joint Commission

The Joint Commission is the most recognized accrediting agency for hospitals and health care organizations. Accreditation surveys are voluntary, but most hospitals do volunteer to participate. Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement are contingent upon The Joint Commission survey findings, and accreditation by The Joint Commission is considered the “stamp of approval” for hospitals by health care consumers. Surveys are performed every three years and consist of evaluation of the hospital against hundreds of standards, including those relating to patient rights, assessment and care of patients, quality, leadership, management of information, medical staff, nursing and infection control.

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**Below this point, all awards and accreditations are listed alphabetically.

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)

The Middlesex Health Family Practice Residency Program is accredited by the ACGME. The ACGME is a private, non-profit organization that accredits more than 7,800 residency programs in 119 specialties and subspecialties affecting nearly 100,000 residents. Its mission is to improve the quality of patient care through improving and maintaining the quality of graduate medical education for physicians training in the United States. Accreditation is voluntary; however, programs must be ACGME-accredited in order to receive graduate medical education funds from the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Residents must graduate from ACGME-accredited programs to be eligible to take their board certification examinations. In addition, Connecticut requires two years of study in an ACGME-accredited residency program for physician licensure. 

American College of Radiology (ACR) Accreditation

The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Middlesex Health received ACR accreditation for its breast imaging services, including mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, and breast ultrasound (including ultrasound-guided breast biopsy) and for its CT service in 2011.

American College of Radiology (ACR) Designated Comprehensive Breast Imaging Centers

All of the Middlesex Health Diagnostic Imaging locations have been designated Comprehensive Breast Imaging Centers by the American College of Radiology (ACR). By awarding the facility the status of a Comprehensive Breast Imaging Center, the ACR recognizes that the breast imaging center has earned accreditation in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy and breast ultrasound (including ultrasound-guided breast biopsy).

American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer

The Middlesex Health Cancer Center is approved by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The ACS Commission's approval program sets standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to make sure they conform to those standards.

Receiving care at a Commission on Cancer-approved cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to:

  • Quality care, close to home
  • Comprehensive care, offering a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment
  • A multispecialty team approach to coordinate the best treatment options available to cancer patients
  • Information about cancer clinical trials, education and support
  • Lifelong patient follow-up through a cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results
  • Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care

Approval by the Commission on Cancer is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to provide the best in diagnosis and treatment of cancer and to undergo a rigorous evaluation process and a review of performance. In order to maintain approval, facilities with approved cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.

 
American College of Surgeons Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP)

The Middlesex Health Center for Medical & Surgical Weight Loss is accredited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program.

This designation recognizes our clinical excellence, as well as our multidisciplinary approach to weight management and commitment to our patients' long term weight loss success.

American College of Surgeons National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC)

Middlesex Health is accredited by the American College of Surgeons National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers as a Comprehensive Breast Center. At the time of its first accreditation in 2009, it was only the third such center in Connecticut.

Baby-Friendly USA

The Pregnancy & Birth Center at Middlesex Hospital has been designated as “Baby-Friendly” by Baby-Friendly USA since 2005. The Baby-Friendly Hospital initiative recognizes hospitals that provide an optimal level of care and information for breastfeeding moms. 

Middlesex Health's Pregnancy & Birth Center is staffed by lactation consultants and nurses who are specially trained to help new mothers work through any difficulties they may encounter with breastfeeding.

Baby-Friendly USA is the authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. The prestigious international award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.

Baby-Friendly status is awarded following a rigorous on-site survey, and the Pregnancy & Birth Center must continue to demonstrate quality processes established by Baby-Friendly USA.

College of American Pathologists (CAP)

CAP is a private, not-for-profit accrediting organization that has been approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and has had its requirements deemed as equivalent to or more stringent than CMS’s regulatory requirements. The goal of the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program is to improve the quality of clinical laboratory services through voluntary participation, professional peer review, education and compliance with established performance standards. Upon successful completion of the inspection process, the laboratory is awarded CAP accreditation and becomes part of an exclusive group of more than 6,000 laboratories worldwide that have met the highest standards of excellence.

Healthcare Equity Index LGBTQ Leadership Award

Middlesex Health is designated as a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equity by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation's largest LGBTQ civil rights organization. The Healthcare Equality Index (HEI)  benchmarking tool is used to determine recipients of this designation. It evaluates each health care facility's policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors, and employees.

Healthgrades 2023

Middlesex Hospital, the flagship facility of Middlesex Health, earned numerous awards as a part of the 2023 Healthgrades Quality Ratings Review. These include the Healthgrades® 'America's 100 Best Hospitals' AwardTM, multiple specialty care designations and recognition in several additional areas. 

To see the full list of designations, click here.

Immunization Action Coalition “Honor Roll for Safety”

Middlesex Health has been named to this honor roll since 2011. The Coalition recognizes stellar examples of influenza vaccination mandates in healthcare settings. In 2011, Middlesex Health (then Middlesex Hospital) established a mandatory influenza vaccination program for its employees, physicians and volunteers.

The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval® for Joint Replacement

The Middlesex Health Center for Joint Replacement has earned The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval® for hip and knee replacements. To achieve this certification, the Center underwent a rigorous on-site review. A Joint Commission expert evaluated The Center for Joint Replacement for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of patients and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management for hip and knee replacements. The certification recognizes Middlesex Health's continuous compliance with The Joint Commission's state-of-the-art standards.

The Joint Commission - Primary Stroke Center

Middlesex Health is certified as a Primary Stroke Care Center by The Joint Commission. This designation recognizes centers that make exceptional efforts to foster better outcomes for stroke care. Achievement of the certification signifies that the services provided have the critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke and that the center demonstrates the necessary infrastructure, staffing and services to stabilize and treat most acute stroke patients.

Magnet Recognition

On June 1, 2001, Middlesex Health (then Middlesex Hospital) became Connecticut’s first and only Magnet hospital, a prestigious mark of nursing excellence awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), an arm of the American Nurses Association. Middlesex Health has retained its Magnet designation since 2001.

Magnet hospitals must meet stringent quantitative and qualitative standards that define the highest quality nursing services and patient care. The evaluation process encompasses nurse management style, nursing autonomy, quality of leadership, organizational structure, care practices and career development—all the things that go into attracting, keeping and motivating the best nursing and other health care professionals.

There is evidence that indicates that patient outcomes are better at Magnet hospitals. Magnet status is important because it is the most stringent quality indicator available for nurses, who provide 95% of the care a patient receives while hospitalized.

The Magnet designation applies to the following locations within Middlesex Health:

  • Middlesex Hospital
  • Middlesex Health Cancer Center
  • Bardenheier Medical Training Center
  • Middlesex Health Homecare
  • Marlborough Medical Center
  • Outpatient Services
  • Outpatient Surgery Center
  • Shoreline Medical Center
  • Middlesex Health Wound and Ostomy Center

The following areas are NOT included:

  • Middlesex Health Urgent Care
  • Middlesex Health Family Medicine
  • Middlesex Health Primary Care
  • Outpatient Laboratory Services
  • Physical Rehabilitation
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)

Middlesex Health's Center for Chronic Care Management is fully accredited for its disease management programs from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). These programs include care management for diabetes, chronic heart failure, asthma and smoking cessation.

The accreditation program involves a comprehensive review of the full range of disease management functions to assess the quality of the programs. Earning the voluntary NCQA disease management accreditation is an indication that an organization is dedicated to giving patients and practitioners the support systems, education and other help necessary to ensure excellent outcomes and exceptional care.

2023 Outie Award Winner

Middlesex Health is the proud recipient of a 2023 Outie Award from Out & Equal, the premier nonprofit organization working exclusively on LGBTQ+ workplace equity, inclusion and belonging. The health system’s employee resource group, MH+ PRIDE, was named Out & Equal’s New Employee Resource Group Chapter of the Year. 

Age-Friendly Health System

As part of the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement, we are among the first health systems in the country implementing age-friendly health care. The four essential elements of an Age-Friendly Health System are known as the 4Ms: 

  • What Matters: Know and align care with each older adult's specific health outcome goals and care preferences including, but not limited to, end-of-life care, and across settings of care.
  • Medication: If medication is necessary, use Age-Friendly medication that do not interfere with What Matters to the older adult, Mobility, or Mentation across settings of care.
  • Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia, depression, and delirium across settings of care.
  • Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely every day in order to maintain function and do What Matters.
State Department of Public Health Licensure

The State Department of Public Health inspects all hospitals at least every three years, utilizing the Public Health Codes as criteria for their review. Middlesex Health maintains uninterrupted state licensure.

 

**All awards and accreditations are listed alphabetically.

American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation Pfizer Immunization Award

The Middlesex Health Family Medicine Residency Program was honored with this award for the most improved childhood immunization rates among the nation's 460 family medicine residency programs. These awards recognize family medicine residency programs that have achieved increased immunization rates in their communities through creative solutions.

American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Silver and Gold “Get With the GuidelinesSM" Achievement Awards

Middlesex Health has received both the Silver and Gold Plus achievement awards for using evidence-based guidelines to provide the best possible stroke care to patients.

Middlesex Health received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes Middlesex Health's commitment and success in implementing excellent care for stroke patients, according to evidence-based guidelines.

Middlesex Health also received the Get With The Guidelines–Heart Failure Gold Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association. The recognition signifies that Middlesex Health has reached an aggressive goal of treating heart failure patients with 85 percent compliance for at least 24 months to core standard levels of care as outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology secondary prevention guidelines for heart failure patients.

Becker’s 100 Great Community Hospitals

Middlesex Health was named in Becker’s Hospital Review’s “100 Great Community Hospitals” list, which recognizes high-performing hospitals with fewer than 550 beds. To compile the list, Becker’s Hospital Review editorial team analyzed information, recognition and rankings from a variety of industry sources, including iVantage Health Analytics, Thomson Reuters, Healthgrades and the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

CIO 100 Award

Middlesex Health was chosen by International Data Group’s CIO magazine as a recipient of the CIO 100 Award. The 27th annual award program recognizes organizations around the world that exemplify the highest level of operational and strategic excellence in information technology (IT).

Consumer Reports Hospital Safety Rankings

In the annual hospital safety rankings by Consumer Reports magazine, Middlesex Health took the top spot in Connecticut.
The report is based on a composite score arrived at by calculating a hospital’s performance in five key safety measures: readmissions after discharge, complications, clear communications in such areas as drugs and discharge planning, overuse of CT scans and infections.

Healthgrades® Outstanding Patient Experience AwardTM

Middlesex Health received the Healthgrades® Outstanding Patient Experience AwardTM. The award recognizes hospitals for patient satisfaction based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey results for hospitals throughout the United States.

Healthgrades® Safest Hospitals in America

In its annual study of quality and clinical excellence, Healthgrades, a leading health care ratings organization, identified 270 hospitals out of 5,000 nationwide that collectively had a 28 percent lower mortality rate and 8 percent lower complication rate than the national average. The full list reflects the top five percent of hospitals nationwide.

Middlesex Health was one of only seven Connecticut hospitals on the Healthgrades list. According to the study’s co-authors, if all facilities performed at the level of the hospitals on the list, 152,600 lives might have been saved and 11,700 hospital complications prevented in two years.

For this study, Healthgrades used administrative coding from more than 41 million Medicare patient records, evaluating 26 common inpatient procedures and diagnoses and determining outcomes in each case. The results were controlled for increased risk among populations based on age, gender, and sicker patients.

According to a Forbes.com article about the Healthgrades study, improved safety rates clearly benefit patients, but they may also benefit the bottom line. Though the company did not make a link between lower complication and mortality rates and lower premiums for medical malpractice insurance, improved safety rates may persuade underwriters to view the hospital as low-risk. They may also decrease the number of medical malpractice claims, which cost insurers $7.1 billion, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

 
The Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality Measures®

Middlesex Health was recognized as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in the United States.

The Top Performer program recognizes hospitals for improving performance on evidence-based interventions that increase the chances of healthy outcomes for patients with certain conditions.

Middlesex was recognized as part of The Joint Commission’s annual report “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety,” for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, venous thromboembolism and perinatal care. Only 31.5 percent of more than 3,300 eligible hospitals in the United States achieved the Top Performer distinction.

“Most Wired” Hospitals in the United States

Middlesex Health was recognized as one of the nation’s Most Wired, according to the results of the Most Wired Survey by Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

Most Wired hospitals have more automated processes to communicate patient care plans among all caregivers, creating a safer, more effective patient experience. They also share more personal health information with the patient, thus engaging the patient in the care process, which studies have shown creates better outcomes.

ONCC Employer Recognition Award

The Middlesex Health Cancer Center was the recipient of The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) Employer Recognition Award. The Award is presented annually to an institution for providing sustained support of oncology nursing certification. To learn more about the ONCC, go to www.oncc.org.