OCH Regional Medical Center was awarded an ‘A’ in the spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing OCH’s achievements providing safer health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade is a letter grade assigned to all general hospitals across the country and updated every six months, assessing how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harms to patients.

“As our community fights the COVID-19 pandemic, we are reminded of how much the little things are actually the big things, such as proper hand hygiene,” said OCH Administrator/CEO Jim Jackson. “Earning an ‘A’ in patient safety requires a team approach, and this honor belongs to every one of our team members who work every day for our patients. By continuing to uphold our high standards of safety at OCH, we can ensure the highest quality of care is available right here at home.”

“As the Nation copes with a challenging pandemic, our gratitude extends to hospital leadership and health care workers everywhere for their tremendous dedication,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We hope this ‘A’ helps to thank the people who work for OCH Regional Medical Center. They are role models in putting patients first, and their service has been extraordinary in our country’s time of need.”

Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 28 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.