The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care ratings organization, today released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. The Safety Grade assigns letter grades to hospitals nationwide based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections, and other harms. Saint Mary’s was the only hospital in Nevada to receive an “A”, three times in a row, for its commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S.
“This award exemplifies our consistency and dedication to providing a safe and error free medical environment for our patients,” said Curtis Roth, director of performance improvement at Saint Mary’s. “Our staff have worked diligently over the last two years to maintain our A ranking, and this is a true accomplishment for our State.”
When it comes to ranking at the top, “A” grade hospitals prove, through publicly reported data, that they are a consumer’s top choice. Why choose an “A” listed hospital?
- Compared to an “A” hospital, your risk of death at a hospital with a C letter grade is 35.2% higher and your risk at a hospital with a D or F is 49.8% higher.
- 33,459 lives could be saved annually if hospitals with grades B, C, D, and F improved their patient safety.
- Patients are encouraged to review three critical areas when choosing a health care provider: hand washing, blood infection during an ICU stay and patient falls.
“It takes consistent, unwavering dedication to patients to achieve the highest standards of patient safety. An ‘A’ Safety Grade recognizes hospitals for this accomplishment,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the clinicians, Board, management and staff at Saint Mary’s for showing the country what it means to put patient safety first.”
Developed under the guidance of a Blue Ribbon National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D, and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
To see Saint Mary’s full grade, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade on Twitter and Facebook.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.