Sarasota Memorial earns ‘A’ for hospital safety and protecting patients from preventable errors and injuries

Hospital recognized by national nonprofit organization that reviews variety of data

Sarasota Memorial opened its courtyard tower in 2013. File photo

Sarasota Memorial Hospital has received an A for protecting patients from preventable injuries and harm and for meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S., the Leapfrog Group has announced.

Leapfrog issues nationwide hospital safety grades twice each year, assigning an A, B, C, D or F on the basis of individual hospital performance in preventing harm and death, a Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) news release explains.

Among the materials Leapfrog reviews are those involving medical errors, injuries, accidents and infections among patients in the hospitals’ care, the release adds.

SMH was one of 750 hospitals nationwide that received Leapfrog’s highest mark during the most recent grading period; this is the fourth consecutive A that SMH has earned for its performance since the hospital began participating in Leapfrog’s survey in 2016, the release points out.

“Receiving an A safety grade means a hospital is among the best in the country for preventing these terrible problems and putting their patients first, 24 hours a day,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, in the release.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assess more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals,” the release says. The grades are calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public,” the release notes.

“Leapfrog’s safety grade — the only national rating of how well hospitals protect patients from preventable harm and death — is a useful measure to help guide consumers to hospitals that prioritize patient safety,” the release continues. “SMH CEO David Verinder, however, urges consumers to research multiple sources when evaluating hospital quality,” the release says.

“High-performing hospitals like Sarasota Memorial are typically recognized by multiple organizations,” he pointed out in the release. “For example, among other designations, SMH is the only hospital in Florida to consistently receive the highest five-star rating from the federal government’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) since its rating system’s inception in 2016; SMH is among a select group of hospitals across the nation designated with Magnet status for safe and effective care by the American Nurses Credentialing Center; and in 2017, SMH was one of just 48 hospitals nationwide to earn the top ‘high performing’ ratings in all procedures and conditions evaluated in U.S. News & World Report’s 2017-18 Best Hospitalslist,” he added in the release.

To see Sarasota Memorial’s full safety grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.