Southwestern Medical Center Earns ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group
November 15, 2024
Southwestern Medical Center received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit group that sets standards for excellence in patient safety and care. Southwestern is one of only 13 hospitals in the state and the only one in southwest Oklahoma to earn an “A” grade during Leapfrog’s Fall 2024 assessments, which were announced on November 15.
Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to hospitals across the country based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. Only 32% of the approximately 3,000 hospitals reviewed nationwide earn Leapfrog’s “A” grade. Southwestern also earned an “A” grade in Leapfrog’s Spring 2024 review.
“Great care at a hospital starts with patient safety – of doing no harm – which is not easy in a building full of sick patients,” said Libby Ferguson, Chief Nursing Officer of Southwestern Medical Center. “Our team works diligently to provide the best patient care, outcomes, and experiences in the safest environment possible. This recognition from Leapfrog once again validates our efforts and should give our patients added confidence in the exceptional and safe care they will receive at Southwestern Medical Center.”
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
“Achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade is a significant accomplishment for Southwestern Medical Center,” said Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It reflects enormous dedication to your patients and their families, and your whole community should be proud. I extend my congratulations to Southwestern Medical, its leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for their tireless efforts to put patients first.”
The Leapfrog recognition follows several recent accolades bestowed upon Southwestern over the past year. In May, Southwestern was included in Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2024 listing of 100 Great Community Hospitals. In March, the hospital was recognized by Healthgrades as a recipient of its 2024 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™, an honor earned by only 15% of approximately 4,500 hospitals across the country. And last October, Southwestern was included in Newsweek’s listing of “America’s Best-In-State Hospitals 2024.”
“We continue to focus on best practices, on teamwork, and on creating a culture of safety,” said Ferguson. “We feel like it’s making a difference for our patients and our hospital, and it’s certainly rewarding when national advocacy groups like Leapfrog recognize us for excellence. I’d like to thank our dedicated healthcare professionals who work tirelessly to provide outstanding care every day.”
To see the safety grades of Southwestern Medical Center and other local hospitals, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and search by city/state or zip code.
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 for patient safety. 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. For more, follow them on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram and sign up for their newsletter.