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Highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality, Aiken Regional Medical Centers was named a Top Teaching Hospital by The Leapfrog Group for 2019. The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive honors American hospitals can receive. The Top Teaching Hospital designation is awarded by The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers focused on healthcare safety and quality.

The Top Teaching Hospital Award comes following the hospital’s third straight “A” Hospital Safety Grade, also from The Leapfrog Group.

“Our team is privileged to help build the future of healthcare with onsite, clinical trainings for students and residents in our community,” said Jim O’Loughlin, Chief Executive Officer at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. “We have the confidence that as we continue to provide and grow the educational programs we offer at Aiken Regional, those participating in the programs will choose to stay, live and work in the communities we serve.”

Aiken Regional’s partnership with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) welcomes third- and fourth-year medical students to complete their clinical rotation in various specialties at Aiken Regional. This provides them an opportunity to get to know the community and aim to make Aiken their home when they graduate. Additionally, through Aiken Regional’s affiliation with the Children’s Hospital of Georgia at Augusta University and the Medical College of Georgia’s Department of Pediatrics at Augusta University, second- and third-year pediatric residents rotate through the Palmetto Pediatric Center. Also, students from the University of South Carolina at Aiken School of Nursing and Aiken Technical College complete their clinical rotations at Aiken Regional.

About 2,100 hospitals were considered for the award, among those 55 hospitals were selected as Top Teaching Hospitals; Aiken Regional received a Top Teaching distinction. Performance across many areas of hospital care is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, practices for safer surgery, maternity care, and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.

“We are pleased to recognize Aiken Regional Medical Centers as a 2019 Leapfrog Top Teaching Hospital,” said Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This demonstrates extraordinary dedication to patients and to the Aiken community. We congratulate the board, staff and clinicians whose efforts made this honor possible and know they share pride in this achievement.”

To qualify for the Top Hospitals distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers in the 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest known standards for quality and patient safety, and achieve top performance in its category. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2019 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.