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Aiken Regional Medical Centers was awarded an ‘A’ in the fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Aiken Regional’s achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer healthcare. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to healthcare quality and safety.The 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 based on a hospital’s performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.

“I am incredibly honored that our team earned this distinction for a fifth time in a row. It is a true testament to our team’s continued commitment to patient safety, particularly as new safety protocols have been implemented throughout this year’s COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jim O’Loughlin, Chief Executive Officer at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. “I hope this nationally recognized ‘A’ safety grade helps ease any anxieties one may have regarding seeking emergent care or visiting a loved one in our facility. The safety of our patients, medical staff, associates and the community remains a top priority as we move forward in our current state with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients.”

“We are extremely grateful to hospital leadership and healthcare workers who have remained steadfast in prioritizing patient safety as our nation battles COVID-19,” said Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This ‘A’ is a testament to the care and commitment of those who work for Aiken Regional. With the current pandemic exposing existing flaws within the U.S. healthcare system, we appreciate you putting patient safety first. Lives depend on it.”

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 2,600 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.

Aiken Regional was awarded an ‘A’ grade today when Leapfrog updated grades for fall 2020.

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 healthcare. 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.