Southern Maine Health Care (SMHC) was awarded an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group for fall 2022, the highest grade that Leapfrog offers. Leapfrog, an independent national quality evaluator, awards letter grades to hospitals every six months based on each hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients. This is the tenth consecutive ‘A’ grade for SMHC.
“Ten consecutive ‘A’ recognitions is a remarkable accomplishment and highlights our team’s dedication to delivering safe, quality care,” said SMHC President Nate Howell. “Amidst the evolving care landscape created by the pandemic, the SMHC team continuously met each day with excellence, positivity, and teamwork. This extraordinary recognition is a direct reflection a daily commitment by all team members to our vision, our values, and each other.”
The Leapfrog Group assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.
Leapfrog’s hospital ratings program is based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, and grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
“I applaud the hospital leadership and workforce for their strong commitment to safety and transparency,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a sign that hospitals are continuously evaluating their performance, so that they can best protect patients. Your hospital team should be extremely proud of their dedication and achievement.”
Visit hospitalsafetygrade.org to learn more about Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades.