Newest “A” grade places Saint Anne’s among only 49 U.S. hospitals to achieve “Straight A’s” for patient safety since 2012

Fall River, Mass. – The Leapfrog Group, a Washington D.C-based organization aiming to improve health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers, has announced the Spring 2018 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades and awarded Saint Anne’s Hospital the elite designation of ‘A’ for its continued achievement in patient safety.

Saint Anne’s is one of only 49 “Straight A” hospitals in the United States to be awarded an ‘A’ for every grading cycle since 2012.

“At Saint Anne’s Hospital, our collaborative and consistent efforts have truly made a difference for our patients,” said Carole Billington, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Saint Anne’s chief operating officer and chief nursing officer.  

“In Massachusetts, just under 54% of general hospitals received an A safety grade, and in Rhode Island, 52.5% received an A,” said Billington. “Strong health care teams like ours reduce infection rates, put checks in place to prevent mistakes, and ensure strong lines of communication between hospital staff, patients, and families. We applaud our staff’s diligence that helps to ensure that every patient receives the best possible care.”

“Only a very select group of hospitals nationally continue to earn an ‘A’ Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade year after year. It shows an unbroken commitment to protecting patients from preventable errors and accidents that harm and even kill too many people in our country every day. Thanks to Saint Anne’s Hospital for always putting their patients first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.

The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D, and F to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms. Developed under the guidance of an 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 approximately 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

To see more details on Saint Anne’s performance, and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients, 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 Saint Anne’s Hospital

Founded by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation in 1906, Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Massachusetts, is a full-service, acute care Catholic hospital with 211 beds and satellite locations in Attleboro, Swansea, Dartmouth, New Bedford, and Stoughton, Massachusetts.

A member of Steward Health Care, Saint Anne’s provides nationally recognized patient- and family-centered inpatient care and outpatient clinical services to patients from surrounding Massachusetts and Rhode Island communities. Recent recognitions include “Straight A’s” for patient safety and the 2017 Top Hospital award from The Leapfrog Group; Women’s Choice Awards as one of America’s best hospitals for orthopedic care and cancer care; the Patient Safety Excellence Award and Outstanding Patient Experience Award from Healthgrades; and the Hurst Gold Standard of Nursing Award.

In addition to comprehensive diagnostic, emergency, medical, and surgical services, Saint Anne’s key services include robotic-assisted surgical capabilities; Saint Anne’s Hospital Regional Cancer Center; the Center for Orthopedic Excellence; ambulatory surgery centers in Attleboro and Dartmouth; the Center for Pain Management; and inpatient geriatric psychiatry services.

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