Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center received an ‘A’ in the fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Piedmont Athens’ achievements protecting patients from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

“Every member of the Piedmont Athens team is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care and ensuring our patients have a very good experience when they receive care at our hospital,” said Piedmont Athens CEO, Michael Burnett. “It’s an amazing accomplishment for our team, especially during a pandemic while caring for extremely sick patients who have often required longer hospital stays. Earning this ‘A’ demonstrates our continued commitment to the safety of our patients.

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 over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, injuries, accidents and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms 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.

“An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a tremendous achievement, of which this community should be extremely proud,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “I thank the leadership and workforce of Piedmont Athens Regional for its commitment to prioritizing patients and their safety, especially during these trying times.”

To see Piedmont Athens Regional’s full grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.