Mary Washington and Stafford Hospitals Receive "A" Ratings for Patient Safety in Fall 2017 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

Fredericksburg, VA, November 1, 2017 – For the second consecutive rating period, Mary Washington and Stafford Hospitals have received an “A” letter grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization committed to driving quality, safety, and transparency in the U.S. health care system. Mary Washington and Stafford Hospitals were two of 823 hospitals to receive an “A” for a commitment to reducing errors, infections, and accidents that can harm patients. The newly released Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, assign A, B, C, D, and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide.

“Leapfrog safety grade is becoming the gold standard measure for patient safety, and we at Mary Washington Healthcare are proud to have Mary Washington and Stafford Hospitals be recognized for their commitment to excellent, safe, and high-quality care for our community,” says Rebecca Bigoney, MD, executive vice president and Chief Medical Officer for Mary Washington Healthcare. “This achievement, for two consecutive rating periods, shows that keeping our patients, associates, and visitors safe is Mary Washington Healthcare’s highest priority.”

“It takes consistent, unwavering dedication to patients to achieve the highest standards of patient safety. An ‘A’ Safety Grade recognizes hospitals for this accomplishment,” says Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the clinicians, Board, management and staff of Mary Washington and Stafford Hospitals for showing the country what it means to put patient safety first.”

Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public.

To see Mary Washington and Stafford Hospitals’ full grade, and to access consumer-friendly patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade or follow the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade on Twitter or Facebook.

Mary Washington Healthcare is a fully integrated, regional medical system that provides inpatient and outpatient care through over 40 facilities and services including Mary Washington Hospital, a 451-bed regional medical center, and Stafford Hospital, a 100-bed community hospital. Mary Washington Healthcare is a nonprofit health system and has a long-standing commitment to provide care regardless of ability to pay. For more information about our services and facilities, please log onto Mary Washington Healthcare website.

About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital 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.