Twelve Minnesota hospitals each won a Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) Patient Safety Excellence Award this month.

The awards are given quarterly to hospitals that are actively participating in one or more of the MHA's five safety campaigns-which recognize hospitals' efforts to prevent pressure ulcers in hospital patients (under the Safe Skin campaign); people from falling during a hospital stay (under the Safe from Falls program); wrong procedure being performed, or a procedure being performed on the wrong body part or patient (under the Safe Site program); and foreign objects unintentionally left behind in patients following surgery (under the Safe Account campaign) and following labor and delivery (under the Safe Count initiative).

The 12 Minnesota hospitals, their location, and the category they excelled in are:

CentraCare Health System, Melrose-Safe Count

Saint Elizabeth'sMedical Center, Wabasha-Safe Count

Deer River HealthCare Center, Deep River-Safe Skin

Community Memorial Hospital, Cloquet-Safe Site

Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital, Grand Rapids-Safe Site

Pipestone County Medical Center, Pipestone-Safe Site

Buffalo Hospital, Buffalo-Safe Account

Children's Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul locations-Safe Account

Fairview Lakes Medical Center, Wyoming-Safe Account

Fairview Ridges Hospital, Burnsville-Safe Account

Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, St. Paul-Safe Account

Lakeview Hospital, Stillwater-Safe Account

Awardees must implement at least 90 percent of each campaign's required measures. One such measure, for instance, requires hospitals to reposition immobile patients every two hours if such patients are at risk for developing pressure ulcers.

The awards are more than three years old and most Minnesota hospitals have already won some, if not all, of the five types of awards available, according to the MHA. Hospitals must re-qualify for awards each quarter.

The MHA says its safety campaigns are based on national and state best practices. They also incorporate lessons learned from hospitals that experienced adverse health events.

The MHA is a St. Paul-based health care advocacy organization that was formed in 1917. Members include Minnesota hospitals and health care organizations of all sizes.