Twin Cities Hospital rated “A” for patient safety

The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.

The Leapfrog Group, a Washington D.C-based organization aiming to improve health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers, has released the new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and Twin Cities Hospital were two of 750 awarded ‘A’ ratings for their efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S.

The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.

“We take exceptional patient care and safety very seriously; it’s what we strive to accomplish every day. We continually receive an “A” grade for our quality, thanks in large part to our outstanding team of physicians, employees, and volunteers, as well as our supportive community,” said Mitch Mongell, CEO of Fort Walton Beach Medical Center. “Being one of the only two hospitals in the tri-county area to receive an “A” for patient safety shows our commitment to the safety of our patients.”

“This is the only national rating of how well hospitals protect patients from preventable harm and death, such as medical errors, infections, and injuries,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “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.”

“We have had a stellar year of accomplishments related to quality and patient safety at Twin Cities Hospital. These accomplishments are not possible without the hard work and dedication of our employees, physicians, and volunteers each and every day,” said David Whalen, CEO of Twin Cities Hospital.

Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to approximately 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. To see Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and Twin Cities Hospital’s full grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade on Twitter and Facebook.

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 forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main  Fort Walton Beach Medical Center 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.