TUPELO, Mississippi, November 10, 2021 – North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2021. This national distinction recognizes NMMC-Tupelo’s achievements in protecting patients from harm and error in the hospital.

“Earning an ‘A’ for our commitment to patient safety is an important achievement, but for our team to continue to maintain this level of excellence while combating a pandemic is truly special,” said David C. Wilson, president for NMMC-Tupelo and chief operating officer for North Mississippi Health Services. “Even as our team responded to the challenges of COVID-19, they kept patients and their families at the center of their efforts.”

NMMC-Tupelo is the only Level I or II Mississippi-designated trauma center to receive a grade higher than a C.  Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, as a specialty hospital, was the only Level I or II trauma center not included in the Leapfrog report.

“Patient safety is the culmination of thousands of individual decisions made every hour of the day and a team commitment to safe and reliable care,” said Melody Poole, NMHS chief quality officer. “We want to make the right decision at the right time, every time. To get there, we are dedicated to putting the right processes in place to support a culture of patient safety and to encourage our team to find opportunities to improve.”

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over thirty national performance measures reflecting errors, injuries, accidents 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 harms 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.

“An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a tremendous achievement, of which this community should be extremely proud,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “I thank the leadership and workforce of NMMC-Tupelo for its commitment to prioritizing patients and their safety, especially during these trying times.”

To see NMMC-Tupelo’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 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 and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC 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 North Mississippi Medical Center

North Mississippi Medical Center, a 650-bed regional referral center in Tupelo, is one of the nation’s largest rural-based hospitals. The medical center serves more than 730,000 people in 24 counties in north Mississippi, northwest Alabama and portions of Tennessee. NMMC-Tupelo is affiliated with North Mississippi Health Services, a 2012 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient.

Area residents have access to a medical staff representing more than 50 medical specialties, as well as centers of excellence in cardiac surgery, cardiology, research, neurology, neurosurgery, pulmonology, rehabilitation, cancer treatment, chemical dependency and neonatal programs.