The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care ratings organization, recently released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center was one of 26 hospitals in Georgia awarded an ‘A’ for its efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards.
 
The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D and F to hospitals nationwide based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care and provides the most complete picture of patient safety in the U.S. healthcare system. Piedmont Athens Regional is the only hospital in the Athens area to receive an A rating.
 
“Patient safety is our highest priority,” said Charles Peck, M.D., president and CEO of Piedmont Athens Regional. “Leapfrog's Hospital Safety Grades help people make informed decisions when choosing where to seek medical care. Earning this top grade demonstrates our continued commitment to making a positive difference in every life we touch.”

Developed under the guidance of a National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to approximately 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

“Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grades recognize hospitals like Piedmont Athens Regional that focus on advancing patient safety. This ranking provides an important resource for patients, and a benchmark for hospitals, to determine how care at one hospital compares to others in a region,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Hospitals that earn an A Hospital Safety Grade deserve to be recognized for their efforts in preventing medical harm and errors.”
 
Since joining Piedmont Healthcare in 2016, Piedmont Athens Regional has made continuous strides to improve its quality, safety and service initiatives.
 
“Piedmont Athens Regional’s dedication to patient safety is reflected in this Leapfrog grade. We are proud to earn this recognition as a top-rated hospital,” Dr. Peck said. “It is a great accomplishment, and I thank our team for always putting the safety of our patients first.”