Memorial Satilla awarded "A" for hospital safety

Waycross, GA – Memorial Satilla Health received its seventh “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. This national distinction celebrates Memorial Satilla’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.

“This distinction showcases the level of commitment our physicians, providers, nurses and hospital employees have to continuously improve the quality care and safety of our patients,” said Dale Neely, CEO. “With this announcement, our hospital has achieved its seventh Hospital Safety Grade in four years – an accomplishment that should make our community proud!”

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

“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.”

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.

To see Memorial Satilla’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit the Hospital Safety Grade website and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook and via its newsletter.

Photo: Pictured (l-r): Amber Jackson-Jordan, Brandi Waters, Haley Dixon, Becky Bennett, Jeff Seitz, Dale Neely, Joanna O’Neill, Chris Kovacs, Patricia Hall, Leonard Pease, Crista Meadows, Celeste Brizzee, Eddie Vergara, Greg O’Quinn and Brenda O’Steen.