Semi-annual grades released this week for hospitals across the United States
The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Nov. 10 release of its semi-annual report cards showed that Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota (SMH) campus “continued its straight-A streak for keeping patients safe from medical errors, infections, accidents and other harm to patients in their care,” the hospital pointed out in a news release.
“The Leapfrog Group assigns hospitals across the nation A, B, C, D or F safety grades in the spring and fall of each year, to help patients choose the safest hospitals for their care,” the release explains. “The safety grades are based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting quality and safety data,” as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm, the release adds.
“SMH-Sarasota has earned straight A’s since it began participating in Leapfrog’s voluntary hospital safety survey in 2016,” the release notes. Of the nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals graded in the fall 2021 report card, 32% earned an A, 26% earned a B, 35% earned a C, 6% a D and less than 1% received an F, the release notes.
“An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a tremendous achievement, of which this community should be extremely proud,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, in the release. “I thank the leadership and workforce of Sarasota Memorial Hospital for its commitment to prioritizing patients and their safety, especially during these trying times,” she added in the release.
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System Chief Medical Officer James Fiorica said the hospital’s continued high marks demonstrate the dedication and diligence of the entire team.
“Despite the challenges we have faced throughout this pandemic, the entire team at SMH has worked incredibly hard to continue providing the highest quality of care to all of our patients,” Fiorica noted in the release. “Their commitment to this community is incredible, and we are so grateful for their efforts.”
To view the full results of the fall 2021 Leapfrog survey, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.