New
Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which assign A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide and
provide the most complete picture of patient safety in the U.S., were
recently announced by
The Leapfrog Group. CaroMont Regional Medical Center was one of 844 hospitals to receive
an “A,” ranking it among the safest hospitals in the U.S.
“Protecting patients from harm is the most important charge for any
hospital,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.
“We recognize and appreciate ‘A’ hospitals’ vigilance
and continued dedication to keeping their patients safe.”
Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital
safety data to assign 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.
Leapfrog releases scores in the Spring and Fall each year, making this
the second consecutive year CaroMont Regional has been recognized with
an “A” grade. According to the press release issued by The
Leapfrog Group, North Carolina has climbed from number 19 in the country
in the Spring 2013 Safety Grade to number five in the Fall 2016 Safety Grade.
Hospital Safety Grade looks at outcome measures such as infections, falls
and trauma, and preventable complications from surgery. Specifically,
CaroMont Regional places strong emphasis on the collaboration between
infection prevention and nursing teams to continually monitor infection
rates to ensure they remain low.
Scores are also based on process and structural measures including strong
nursing leadership and engagement, the use of electronic physician ordering
systems to prevent medication errors, hand hygiene policies and adherence
to medical and medication protocols that prevent complication, all of
which are areas CaroMont Regional excels.
“We are very proud to receive another ‘A’ rating by The
Leapfrog Group,” said Doug Luckett, President and CEO at CaroMont
Health. “This score is reflective of our care philosophy and commitment
to keeping our patients safe. It is a result of successful systems and
protocols that we have in place that allow us to consistently provide
a safe and healthy environment for our patients.”
To see CaroMont Regional’s full grade, and to access consumer-friendly
patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit
www.hospitalsafetygrade.org or follow The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade on Twitter or Facebook. Consumers
can also download the free Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade mobile app for
Apple and Android devices.