WASHINGTON, Mo. - It’s report card season and Mercy Hospital Washington once again earned an A grade for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog organization. It was among only 32% of hospitals nationwide to earn this distinction and one of only 10 in the state. With five consecutive A grades, Mercy Washington is also a designed Straight-A hospital.
“We know quality care takes teamwork. Earning a Leapfrog A grade showcases our amazing caregivers and maintaining that quality is an even greater feat,” said Marie Moore, president of Mercy Washington Communities. “We hope these grades help reinforce the community’s trust in the care we provide.”
Leapfrog rates hospitals on an A to F grading scale after reviewing more than 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.
Nine other Mercy hospitals also earned the highest rating, including Mercy Hospital Jefferson in the St. Louis region, Mercy Hospital Lebanon and Mercy Hospital Springfield in Missouri, Mercy Hospital Pittsburg in Kansas, Mercy Hospital Fort Smith and Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in Arkansas, and Mercy Hospital Ada, Mercy Hospital Ardmore and Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City in Oklahoma.
Along with Mercy Washington, five other Mercy hospitals also earned Leapfrog’s Straight-A designation including those in Ada, Oklahoma; Fort Smith and Rogers, Arkansas; Pittsburg, Kansas; and Springfield, Missouri.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, injuries and infections that can lead to harm or even death. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. To see Mercy’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.
“My sincere congratulations to Mercy Washington for upholding patient safety standards through thick and thin, achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Consistently earning an A demonstrates a long-term, organization-wide commitment to putting patient safety first.”
