Why National Patient Safety Ratings Matter
February 27, 2025
Health News
Northern Nevada Medical Center was recently awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. Katie Grimm, RN, BSN, MBA, Chief Nursing Officer, Northern Nevada Medical Center, explains what this means for the community.
What is the Leapfrog Group Safety Rating Program?
Hospitals across the country submit data to The Leapfrog Group, which then uses over 30 performance measures to assign a grade to hospitals across the nation. The performance measures include errors, accidents, injuries and infections, and the protocols hospitals have in place to prevent harm to patients.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital rating program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. It has become a very easy way for the public to know and understand how a specific hospital ranks for patient safety.
How did Northern Nevada Medical Center achieve an A-grade for patient safety?
To be recognized with an “A” patient safety grade, staff at Northern Nevada Medical Center have to remain consistent in the care they provide patients. The teams work year-round to implement and execute evidence-based protocols for the safety of patients.
In addition, staff are constantly tracking data of each surgical case and inpatient cases to identify any opportunities for improvement and implementation of hospital-wide systems to maintain highly rated safety scores.
Why is this rating important to patients?
This rating is an easy way for patients to understand how their community scores when compared to other national facilities. An “A” grade indicates patients can be confident in Northern Nevada Medical Center’s ability to provide safe, consistent care for the peace of mind of patients and their loved ones.