Rapides Regional Medical Center received an 'A' for patient safety on the latest scorecard from The Leapfrog Group., a Washington D.C.-based organization aiming to improve health care quality and safety for consumers.
The new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades were released today.
Rapides Regional was one of 16 hospitals in the state awarded an 'A' for its efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.
It is the only hospital in Central Louisiana to receive an A rating.
"We are extremely proud to receive an 'A' rating from The Leapfrog Group," said Jason Cobb, Rapides Regional Medical Center's chief executive officer. "Our staff work tirelessly toward providing the safest care possible to our patients. Their safety is our first priority, so whether it be communication about medications, quadruple-checking medication orders, vigilance in preventing medical errors or infections, this score is proof that our efforts are benefiting patients and their families."
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to approximately 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice a year. It is peer reviewed, transparent and free to the public.
"This is the only national rating of how well hospitals protect patients from preventable harm and death, such as medical errors, infections and injuries," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "Receiving an 'A' Safety Grade means a hospital is among the best in the country for preventing these terrible problems and putting their patients first, 24 hours a day."
To see Rapides Regional Medical Center's scores and patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit Hospital Safety Grade and follow the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade on Facebook.
"This award is a testimony to the dedication of our physicians, nurses, ancillary staff and board," Cobb said. "We are humbled to be able to serve our community and offer them the highest level of healthcare."
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 Guide, 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 Rapides Regional Medical Center
Rapides Regional Medical Center is a 380 bed acute care hospital located in Alexandria, La., providing healthcare on a higher level for families in approximately 16 central Louisiana parishes. Our mission is to provide high quality, efficient and compassionate health care services for our patients and community through the efforts of our employees, physicians and volunteers.
Rapides Regional Medical Center has provided state-of-the-art, comprehensive medical services to our community for more than 115 years. Our campus is home to Rapides Women's and Children's Hospital, Rapides Cancer Center, Rapides Heart Center, Rapides Outpatient Center, Rapides Regional Trauma Center, 51-bed emergency department, NICU, PICU and ICU. We recently received an A rating from Leapfrog for patient safety. Read about these services and more at Rapides Regional.