Harrison Hospital scored above average among Washington hospitals – and those across the nation – for 10 quality measures in a federal report now available to the public. From the new user-friendly website, called Hospital Compare (hospitalcompare.hhs.gov), consumers can examine quality information and make apples-to-apples comparison of hospitals, helping them make important healthcare decisions.

Harrison joined 4,200 hospitals across the nation to participate in the voluntary reporting of patient safety data for pneumonia, heart attack, and heart failure. Measures of prevention of surgical infection are scheduled to be posted to the public website this summer. Information on patient’s perspectives on their care may be added early next year. Harrison’s data have been compared with that of like-sized hospitals from a database of 600.

“Quality is a top priority every day at Harrison, and our scores reflect this,” said President & CEO Scott Bosch. “Hospital Compare gives consumers information to help them make an informed decision about hospital care.”

The site – created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that runs Medicare and Medicaid – marks a milestone in public accountability. It is the outcome of a landmark public-private partnership between hospitals, government, and other healthcare organizations, known as the Hospital Quality Alliance.