Shawnee Mission Medical Center Awarded 10th Consecutive A Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group

For the 10th consecutive time, Shawnee Mission Medical Center was awarded the elite designation of A for its commitment to keeping patients safe by The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care ratings organization. The Leapfrog Group released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades assigning letter grades of A, B, C, D and F to hospitals nationwide based on their performances in preventing medical errors, infections, and other harms.

"Our commitment to providing the highest quality care to our patients is demonstrated through this 10th consecutive A grade from The Leapfrog Group," said Lori K. Cue, administrative director of quality and safety. "This award is a testament to the guidelines we implement to provide care in a safe and efficient manner for our patients every day."

Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to approximately 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is peer reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public.

SMMC is one of only 49 Straight A hospitals in the United States to be awarded an A every grading cycle since 2012, and one of only 750 hospitals to earn an A this ratings cycle.

To see SMMC's full grade and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

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 health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital 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, Leapfrogs 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.