Mercy Hospitals in Arkansas Earn A Grades from Safety Watchdog Leapfrog Group

Mercy hospitals in Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas have received A grades in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for achievements in protecting patients from harm and errors in the hospital.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns letter grades to hospitals across the country based on more than 30 performance measures reflecting errors, injuries, accidents, infections and the protocols hospitals have in place to prevent harm to patients.

This is the 12^th straight A for Mercy Hospital Fort Smith and the sixth straight A for Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas.

“Twelve straight As for patient safety is a remarkable achievement, and our co-workers are to be commended for their commitment to quality patient care,” said Ryan Gehrig, president of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith. “Patient safety has always been the highest priority at Mercy, and we are pleased that our co-workers have been recognized for this dedication.”

“This achievement is a direct result of the dedication of our team, who make quality and safety the top priority for the care we provide,” said Eric Pianalto, president of Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas. “We are grateful for the commitment of our co-workers, who deliver high-quality health care for our community every day.”

Mercy’s Arkansas hospitals are two of only nine hospitals throughout the state to earn an A grade from Leapfrog in the spring 2022 grades. In Fort Smith, Mercy was the only hospital to receive an A grade in the most recent assessment.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public at hospitalsafetygrade.org. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

“As our health care system continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of Mercy’s hospitals in Arkansas for sustained commitment to patient safety day in and day out,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An A Safety Grade is an outstanding achievement and one that is not possible without a 24/7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm. These communities should be proud.”

To see Mercy Hospital Fort Smith and Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas’ full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group 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 and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC 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.