Garrett Regional Medical Center Nationally Recognized with an ‘A’ for the Spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

Garrett Regional Medical Center was awarded an ‘A’ this spring by Leapfrog Hospital Safety Gradea national distinction awarded by the Leapfrog Group recognizing GRMC’s achievements in providing safe, high quality health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to helping improve health care in the United States. The Safety Grade is a letter grade assigned to all general hospitals across the country and is updated every six months, assessing how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harms to patients.

“As the nation copes with a challenging pandemic, our gratitude extends to hospital leadership and health care workers everywhere for their tremendous dedication,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We hope this ‘A’ helps thank the people who work and volunteer for GRMC. They are role models in putting patients first, and their service has been extraordinary in our country’s time of need.”

“Receiving an ‘A’ grade from The Leapfrog Group this year is a direct result of our commitment to providing the highest level of care to our patients,” said Kendra Thayer, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Operating Officer at GRMC. “Safety and quality are at the forefront of everything we do.”

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 28 measures of publicly available hospital data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

GRMC, which is clinically affiliated with WVU Medicine, was awarded an ‘A’ grade in April, when Leapfrog updated grades for spring 2020. To see Garrett Regional Medical Center’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.

The A grade from Leapfrog marks the third top level achievement in quality care awarded Garrett Regional Medical Center this year. In January, GRMC was given a coveted 5-star rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and in March it was named a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital by the Chartis Group, which rates acute care rural hospitals throughout the United States on a variety of patient-related data points.

“The recent recognitions Garrett Regional Medical Center has received all stem from the hard work and dedication of our incredible staff,” noted Mark Boucot, GRMC’s President and CEO. “I am honored and proud to be part of a team that makes excellent patient care the focal point of everything we do. It shows in the distinctions won, and it shows in our exceptional patient care statistics. Our mission of striving to treat every patient like family means we work to provide the best care possible.”

Garrett Regional Medical Center is among the top rated hospitals in Maryland. GRMC is the top rated hospital in the state for reducing hospital-acquired conditions, and has had the lowest readmission rate in the state for the past four years. GRMC’s surgical site infection rate of 0.08% is far below the national average of 1.9%. It is ranked in the top 50 hospitals in the United States for its low readmission rates for both COPD patients and for patients diagnosed with sepsis.

The Leapfrog Group was founded in 2000 and is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for improved quality and safety in 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. Leapfrog assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety and helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

Garrett Regional Medical Center is an award winning, progressive, Joint Commission accredited acute care facility with 55 inpatient beds in Oakland, Maryland. The hospital serves a population of 46,000 within Garrett County and surrounding communities in Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Originally established in 1950, the hospital has continuously evolved to advance the health and wellness needs of the region. Through its clinical affiliation with WVU Medicine, GRMC offers comprehensive health care services unique to a rural location. GRMC is one of the county’s largest employers with more than 450 team members, who are each dedicated to our mission of striving to treat every patient like family.  Learn more at https://www.grmc-wvumedicine.org/