Colquitt Regional recently received its 16th “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. This national distinction celebrates Colquitt Regional’s achievements in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. The new grades reflect performance primarily during the height of the pandemic.
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, 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.
“We are proud every time we receive an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group, but this grade is particularly important,” said Colquitt Regional President and CEO Jim Matney. “This score shows that, as always, even during the pandemic, patient safety was never sacrificed. Our health system has built measures and protocols to ensure that no matter what, the safety of our patients remains top priority. I am proud to serve alongside so many employees who are dedicated and committed to making this facility an ‘A’ hospital.”
Among the 30 measures used to evaluate each hospital, Colquitt Regional earned a perfect score in the following categories: computerized physician order entry, bar code medication administration, ICU physician staffing, culture of leadership structures and systems, culture measurement, feedback and intervention, nursing workforce, and hand hygiene.
“This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “But this hospital received an ‘A’ despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible.”
Colquitt Regional also scored 91 percent or higher in the categories of nurse communication and doctor communication.
“This achievement is the result of exceptional group work,” said Hospital Authority Chairman Richard E. Turner, Jr. “The collective efforts of everyone at Colquitt Regional, from administration to nurses, to central sterile staff to environmental services, is the reason we have reached our 16th ‘A.’ Our team is second-to-none and I commend each person for this accomplishment.”
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. 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 Colquitt Regional’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook and via its newsletter.
