Baptist Union County Awarded ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from Leapfrog Group

NEW ALBANY, Miss. –Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County received an A Hospital Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.

“Earning an A Hospital Safety Grade is a great testament to our team and the care we provide at Baptist Union County,” said Ann Bishop, CEO and administrator of Baptist Union County. “I am proud of our team for their continued dedication to providing quality care and patient safety.”

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 national distinction celebrates a hospital’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 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 Baptist Union County 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 Baptist Union County’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, the Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps 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.

Baptist Union County offers a variety of services, including adult and pediatric inpatient care, a sleep lab, maternity, surgery, a 24-hour emergency department and diagnostics. The hospital also offers PET/CT scans, 3D mammography, telemedicine services and an eICU. Baptist Union County has an excellent reputation for providing quality care and recently earned an A Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group and Outstanding Patient Experience and Patient Safety Excellence awards from Healthgrades. For more information about Baptist Union County, please call 662-538-7631 or visit www.baptistonline.org/locations/union-county.