Baptist Medical Center South earns top mark for patient safety

Baptist Medical Center South earned an ‘A’ rating in the fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, joining the top third of more than 2,600 evaluated health care systems selected to receive the highest achievement possible for protecting patient safety. This is the second consecutive time Baptist South has received an ‘A’ safety rating.

“We continue to provide high-quality care because of the commitment of our physicians and team members to adhere to our stringent protective measures for the safety of all of our patients,” said Nicole Thomas, FACHE, hospital president of Baptist South. “This achievement is a reflection of how our team continues to go above and beyond the call of duty to prioritize patient safety, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Developed under the guidance of a national panel of experts, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign an ‘A-F’ letter grade to acute-care hospitals across the United States. The grade incorporates metrics such as infection, error and accident rates to assess health systems for patient safety, helping consumers make the safest choice for care possible.

Baptist Beaches, Baptist Jacksonville and Baptist Nassau also received ‘A’ ratings, making Baptist Health a ‘straight A’ system for the second consecutive time.

“As we faced unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19, our system remained committed to the highest level of patient safety,” said David Rice, MD, senior vice president, chief medical officer and chief quality officer for Baptist Health. “Our dedication to providing consistent, cutting-edge care using all available protective measures will continue to reassure patients that their safety comes before all else.”

The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality and safety of American health care. The [Hospital Safety Grade’s][4] methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.