Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) and Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC) both earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog that sets standards for excellence in patient care. Leapfrog 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 the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.
“A big congratulations to our colleagues at FMC and VVMC for receiving an ‘A’ in the Fall 2023 Hospital Safety Grades. This recognition makes me exceptionally proud and should bring pride to the northern Arizona communities we serve,” said Dave Cheney, CEO of Northern Arizona Healthcare. “So much hard work and dedication went into receiving this distinction, as optimizing patient safety requires a collaborative effort of the entire team. It is crucial to have a safe work environment in a hospital setting, both for our patients and our colleagues, and our commitment to safety directly supports our mission to improve health and heal people,” Cheney added.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program exclusively based on hospital prevention of medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day nationally. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually in the fall and spring.
“Earning an ‘A’ Grade means FMC and VVMC made a true commitment to put patients first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.”
To see FMC’s and VVMC’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.