By T.A. DeFeo, The Center Square —
(The Center Square) — Georgia ranked 21st in the country for the percentage of hospitals earning an “A” grade in a new report.
In the fall 2023 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, the Peach State ranked 10 places higher than it did in the Spring report when it ranked 31st in the nation. Based on 30 national performance measures, the latest grades are the first to reflect post-pandemic hospital performance.
“Nobody wants patients to suffer or even die from a preventable medical error, but sadly it happens all too often in hospitals across the country,” Liz Coyle, executive director of Georgia Watch, said in an announcement.
“We are very glad to see five additional Georgia hospitals earned an ‘A’ in the latest state rankings and appreciate their commitment to improve patient safety,” Coyle added. “Employers and purchasers in our coalition believe everyone benefits when we know how hospitals are doing, and Georgia consumers can make informed decisions about their healthcare.”
The report from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit, graded 79 Georgia hospitals, bestowing an “A” grade to 24. Roughly 30% of Peach State hospitals earned an “A,” which is on par with the national rate.
Another 17 earned a “B,” while 34 picked up a “C,” 4 earned a “D.” No Georgia hospitals earned an “F.”
Georgia hospital groups either referred questions about the grades to individual hospitals or did not respond to a request for comment.
In an announcement, Colquitt Regional President and CEO Jim Matney said the hospital, which received an “A,” is “consistently evaluating our safety practices and implementing new technologies and systems to ensure that we are delivering the safest care possible to our patients.”
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