Baptist Carroll County Earns ‘A’ Grade for Patient Safety

HUNTINGDON (May 1) — Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll 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.

“I am proud to share Baptist Carroll County has earned an ‘A’ for hospital safety from the Leapfrog Group,” said Susan Breeden, CEO and administrator of Baptist Carroll County. “This grade demonstrates the excellence of our care and team.”

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.

“Everyone who works at Baptist Carroll County should be proud of this ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group. “It takes complete dedication at every level, and commitment to putting patients first. I thank Baptist Union County, its leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for caring so deeply for its patients and their safety.”

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.

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 Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center 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 information and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical care to West Tennessee in a variety of specialized areas, including cardiac care, pediatrics, general surgery, physical therapy and palliative care, among others. The 70-bed facility is located in Huntingdon, Tennessee, and offers advanced medical technology, such as 3D mammography and the Baptist TeleHealth Center, which uses TeleGuardian. Baptist Carroll County is the recipient of many awards and accolades, including the Tennessee Quality Award, Premier Inc.’s QUEST Award for High-Value Healthcare, the Quest Hero Award, Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval in 2015 and an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group in 2024. For more information, visit baptistonline.org/carrollcounty.