Liberal, Kan. – The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization committed to driving quality, safety, and transparency in the U.S. health care system, today released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which assign A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide.  Southwest Medical Center was one of 823 hospitals to receive an “A” for its commitment to reducing errors, infections, and accidents that can harm patients.

“We care about every patient coming into our hospital and care centers,” Southwest Medical Center President and CEO, Bill Ermann, said. “Because we care, our team has devoted themselves to creating the safest environment possible for our patients to receive excellent care. This ‘A’ rating is a team accomplishment and is reflective of our commitment to providing the highest quality of care to patients and our entire community.”

“Hospitals that earn top marks nationally in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, ‘have achieved  the highest safety standards in the country,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “That takes commitment from every member of the hospital staff, who all deserve thanks and congratulations when their hospitals achieve an ‘A’ Safety Grade.”

Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 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 Southwest Medical Center’s full grade, and to access consumer-friendly patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org