ASHEVILLE – Mission Hospital received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. Only 29% of hospitals surveyed received a Spring Grade A. This national distinction celebrates Mission Hospital’s achievements in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. The new grades reflect performance primarily during the height of the pandemic.

“Leapfrog is a trusted, transparent and evidence-based survey of hospital safety and I am so proud of our team at Mission Hospital for their dedication to quality patient care. The data confirms that Mission Hospital is providing exceptional care and ensuring that our patients are safe from infection, surgical complications and any errors or harm during their hospital stay. These objective surveys are important for our community to make informed decisions about their care,” said Chad Patrick, CEO, Mission Hospital.  

Mission Hospital McDowell in Marion, the only other eligible Mission Health Hospital, also received an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group. The Leapfrog Group, an independent, nonprofit national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer- reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

“This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “But this hospital received an ‘A’ despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible.”

To see Mission Hospital’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the

hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook and via its newsletter.