Kaweah Health Earns an A Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group

Kaweah Health Medical Center earned an A Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. The grade, released today, is a national distinction recognizing Kaweah Health’s achievements in protecting patients from harm and error in the hospital.

“This is a wonderful accomplishment by our employees and medical staff, who work hard to maintain a high-quality, safe environment for patients and visitors,” Marc Mertz, Kaweah Health CEO, said. “I’m proud of the work our teams are putting in every day to ensure they deliver world-class healthcare to our community.”

 

Leapfrog assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to general hospitals across the country using evidence-based measures of patient safety focused exclusively on errors, accidents, injuries and infections.

 

“An A Grade is a strong sign that Kaweah Health is deeply committed to protecting patients from harm,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We commend the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers for the role each played in earning this distinction.”

 

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 per 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. 

Kaweah Health also recently finished its Joint Commission survey, retaining its accreditation. The Joint Commission is a leading accreditation organization that conducts unannounced surveys and expectations of a hospital at least once in a 39-month period.

 

To explore Kaweah Health’s full grade details and to find valuable tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org. Connect with The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram and stay informed through The Leapfrog Group newsletter.