TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY, April 29, 2021 – Community Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, received an “A” grade in the spring 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Community Medical Center’s achievements protecting patients from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to all general hospitals across the country and is updated every six months. It is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospitals’ prevention of medical errors and other harms to patients in their care.
“Community Medical Center has been on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, and I’ve witnessed our team’s incredible dedication to continuing our commitment to quality and safety, for both patients and staff, during the pandemic,” said Patrick Ahearn, Chief Executive Officer of Community Medical Center. “Receiving this ‘A’ safety grade reflects how deeply that dedication goes. I could not be more proud of the team at Community Medical Center.”
“An ‘A’ safety grade is an elite designation that your community should be proud of,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “The past year has been extraordinarily difficult for hospitals, but Community Medical Center shows us it is possible to keep a laser focus on patients and their safety, no matter what it takes.”
Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,700 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.
Community Medical Center was awarded an “A” grade today when Leapfrog updated grades for spring 2021. This is Community Medical Center’s 10th “A” since the Leapfrog Group began assigning Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. To see Community Medical Center’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.
***
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 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.