FARMINGTON – The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care ratings organization, today released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D and F to hospitals nationwide based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms. Franklin Memorial Hospital was one of 832 awarded an “A” for its commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S.
“We have an organizational effort and collective commitment of our staff, physicians, and hospital leadership to the highest standards of care, implementing best practices with a focus on patient safety and clinical information systems aimed at improving patient care,” said Miriam Leonard, Franklin Memorial Hospital chief operating officer. “We leverage ratings such as these as a tool to continually improve. This “A” recognition underscores that this hospital is making great strides in providing the highest quality of care to the residents and visitors of Greater Franklin County.”
“It takes consistent, unwavering dedication to patients to achieve the highest standards of patient safety. An “A” Safety Grade recognizes hospitals for this accomplishment,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the clinicians, Board, management and staff of Franklin Memorial Hospital for showing the country what it means to put patient safety first.”
Developed under the guidance of a Blue Ribbon National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
To see Franklin Memorial Hospital’s full grade, 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 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.
About Franklin Memorial Hospital
Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington, Maine, is a progressive, not-for-profit community hospital whose mission is to provide high-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered health care. The 70-bed hospital is fully qualified and accredited to handle a broad range of medical, surgical, pediatric, women’s care, and diagnostic services. The hospital actively works with the community and with other health care providers to integrate services and ensure the health of people within its service area. Franklin Memorial Hospital became the thirteenth member of the MaineHealth system, based in Portland, Maine, on October 1, 2014. MaineHealth is a not-for-profit family of leading high-quality providers and other healthcare organizations working together so their communities are the healthiest in America.
