Hospitals earn ‘A’ grade in national safety ranking amid pandemic

Keeping patients safe during COVID-19, every day

San Antonio, TX – As the COVID-19 pandemic challenged the health care industry across the nation, Baptist Health System in San Antonio, proved its exemplary commitment to keeping its patients and staff safe. This year, all six of Baptist Health System hospitals were awarded the highest ‘A’ rating for hospital safety from the national Leapfrog Group. This is the second year in a row that all six hospitals earned straight ‘As’ for their record of patient safety.

The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The safety grade is a letter grade assigned to all general hospitals across the country and updated every six months, assessing how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harm to patients. The Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Score is a rating system designed to give consumers information they can use to make healthcare decisions for themselves or a loved one. The Leapfrog Group assigns A, B, C, D, and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals based on their ability to prevent medical errors, injuries, accidents and infections. Developed under the guidance of a national panel of experts, the Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent and the results are free to the public.

Baptist hospitals earning the ‘A” grade include Baptist Medical Center, downtown; Mission Trail Baptist Hospital on the south side; Northeast Baptist Hospital on Loop 410 at Starcrest Drive; North Central Baptist Hospital in Stone Oak; St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital in the Medical Center; and Resolute Health Hospital in New Braunfels.

Matt Stone, chief executive officer for Baptist Health System, said the straight ‘As’ achieved across all six hospitals recognizes the dedication of the staff in upholding patient safety as their top priority. “This is especially important for the community to know amid the COVID-19 pandemic when people count on us to protect them and their families and to keep our staff and physicians safe,” Stone said. “We can all be proud to have this level of safe care here in San Antonio,” he said.

Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, applauded the “heroic” efforts of hospitals across the nation including Baptist Health System, to protect patients and families.

“We see in the news every day the extraordinary courage of clinicians and staff caring for patients stricken by COVID-19. What’s less apparent—yet equally laudable—are the untold efforts behind the scenes to protect patients. Hospitals’ commitment to the fundamentals have saved lives too, like preventing infection, ensuring universal hand hygiene, and double and triple checking everything to avoid errors,” Binder said.

To see Baptist Health System’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit Hospital Safety Grade and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.

Read more about the Leapfrog Group here.