LeapFrog Group

www.HospitalSafetyGrade.org

TUPELO, Mississippi – North Mississippi Health Services’ hospitals in Tupelo and Amory received “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades for spring 2022. This national distinction recognizes the hospitals’ achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital.

North Mississippi Medical Center-Tupelo and North Mississippi Medical Center Gilmore-Amory earned top marks for the safety and quality efforts of their dedicated teams.

“Everyone likes to bring home an ‘A,’ but this one comes with a special gold star,” said David C. Wilson, president of NMMC-Tupelo and chief operating officer for North Mississippi Health Services. “Our teammates in Tupelo and Amory maintained their focus on safety and quality as they faced the challenges of COVID-19. Earning an ‘A’ while responding to a pandemic is a tribute to their dedication to patients and their families.”

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 more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“This award reflects the hard work our staff does every day,” said Jamie Rodgers, administrator of NMMC Gilmore-Amory. “Everyone owns a piece of this honor. It takes leadership, cooperation, skill and dedication across the entire team to connect our patients and their families with the care they deserve.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital rating 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.

Since 2018, both the Tupelo and Amory hospitals have earned seven “A” safety ratings.

“Our quality improvement journey doesn’t have a finish line,” said Melody Poole, NMHS chief quality officer. “Reaching and maintaining these high levels of safety and quality requires dedication and persistence.”

“As our health care system continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of NMMC-Tupelo and NMMC Gilmore-Amory for sustained commitment to patient safety, day in and day out,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is an outstanding achievement, and one that is not possible without a 24/7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm. This community should be proud.”

To see full grade details for NMMC-Tupelo and NMMC Gilmore-Amory 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.

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 for patient safety. 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. For more, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter.