Mercy Recognized Nationally Recognized with an "A" from Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

(Baltimore, MD) – Mercy Medical Center has received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2021. This national distinction recognizes Mercy’s achievements in protecting patients from errors and harm such as injuries, accidents, infections, etc. Mercy was one of only seven hospitals in Maryland, and one of three hospitals in Baltimore City to receive an “A,” ranking it among the safest hospitals in the United States.

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.

“At Mercy, it’s our daily mission to provide our patients with quality care in a compassionate setting. Patient safety is a must for achieving this goal. To receive Leapfrog’s top grade reflects Mercy’s success in fulfilling this mission as we remain committed to addressing the health and well-being of our patients,” said Dr. David N. Maine, President and CEO, Mercy Health Services, Mercy Medical Center.

Mercy Medical Center also received Leapfrog’s “A” rating in the spring of 2021, following on the heels of Mercy’s recognition by Healthgrades this year as among America’s Best 50 Hospitals for Surgical Care, and America’s Best 100 Hospitals for Joint Replacement and Spine Surgery.

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 Mercy Medical Center for its commitment to prioritizing patients and their safety, especially during these trying times.”

The fall 2021 Hospital Safety Grade represents the largest set of hospitals ever graded with grades assigned to 2,901 facilities. The Safety Grades reflect performance on more than 30 evidence-based measures of patient safety, including for the first time, post-operative sepsis, blood leakage, and kidney injury.

Among the new measures incorporated into the grade is post-operative sepsis, which results in suffering, disability, and sometimes death for an estimated 160,000 people a year in the United States. Overall, sepsis in all settings, including post-operative sepsis, kills over 270,000 people a year and is the costliest condition in U.S. hospitals.

To view Mercy’s full grade details, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.