New Grade for Fall 2023 is a national recognition for patient safety.
By Lake Huron Medical Center
PORT HURON, MI – Lake Huron Medical Center (LHMC), a member of Prime Healthcare, earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog that sets standards for excellence in patient care.
LHMC has received this award consecutively since 2018 which makes this the 11th“A” in a row with grading done each spring and fall and is the only hospital in St. Clair County to receive this top grade.
Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.
“Earning an ‘A’ Grade means Lake Huron Medical Center made a true commitment to put patients first,” said Leah Binder, President, and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.”
“We are extremely proud to have earned straight ‘A’ grades for hospital safety since fall of 2018 because it reflects the commitment that Lake Huron Medical Center, our physicians, staff, and nurses make – every day – when caring for patients,” said Jose Kottoor, Lake Huron Medical Center, Chief Executive Officer. “We have a culture of safety and processes in place to keep our patients safe, thereby earning the ‘A’ grade consistently for the last several years. Our dedicated staff remains committed to providing the highest quality of care, even in times of crisis, to our community.”
As quoted in Crain’s Grand Rapid (Walsh, Sanchez, 2023) Michigan hospitals continue decline in patient safety: The decline in hospital patient safety that began during the COVID-19 pandemic has continued throughout 2023. “A lot of places around the state are getting worse, and that’s very concerning. Patient safety should be the highest priority, and when someone comes into a medical facility their care should be paramount and the data’s telling us that’s not the case in many facilities across the state,” said Bret Jackson, executive director for the Novi-based Economic Alliance of Michigan that coordinates the report card in the state with The Leapfrog Group. “Hospitals have not gotten back on track like they were,” Jackson said. “It just appears that there are more hospitals than not that need improvement.”
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program exclusively based on hospital prevention of medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day nationally. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually in the fall and spring.
As a member of Prime Healthcare, LHMC joins other Prime hospitals across the nation that have achieved award winning accolades for clinical excellence. To see Lake Huron Medical Center’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook and via its newsletter. For more information about Lake Huron Medical Center, visit www.mylakehuron.com.
