Licking Memorial Hospital (LMH) recently received a ninth consecutive “A” grade in the Fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade report.  The distinction recognizes LMH as one of the safest hospital environments in the United States for patients to receive care.  LMH was one of 895 hospitals nationwide and 41 throughout Ohio to receive an “A” grade.
 
“LMH is dedicated and vigilant in our efforts to protect our patients and to provide safer healthcare to our community, especially during a worldwide health crisis,” Licking Memorial Health Systems (LMHS) President & CEO Rob Montagnese said.  “Receiving the top rating again indicates the commitment of our leadership and staff to develop and implement policies and protocols that prioritize patient safety, including our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
 
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization that rates hospitals’ safety performance, assigns more than 2,600 hospitals nationwide a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F.  Ratings are based on performance in patient safety practices such as infection prevention and responsiveness of the staff.  Grades are reported twice per year and provide the most complete picture of patient safety in the United States.  Earning an “A” grade shows LMH has exhibited excellence in the national database of patient safety measures and ranks among the top hospitals in the U.S. in preventing patient harm and medical errors. 
 
Developed under the guidance of a National Expert Panel, The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of hospital-reported and publicly available safety data to rate nationwide hospitals’ overall safety performance.  It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
 
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 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 information about the Hospital Safety Score, please log on to www.HospitalSafetyScore.org.