Laurens County Hospital Among Seven Prisma Health hospitals to earn “A” in spring 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades
May 3, 2021
Seven Prisma Health hospitals have earned “A” grades in the Spring 2021 Hospital Safety Grades released by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization committed to healthcare quality and safety. The Leapfrog Group assigns letter grades to approximately 2,600 hospitals across the country based on their performance in process/structural and outcome measures, representing a hospital’s overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors.
Some of the highlights of Prisma Health’s spring 2021 safety grades include Laurens Hospital improving their performance from a “B” to an “A” during the reporting period. Baptist Parkridge, Greer Memorial, Hillcrest and Oconee Memorial hospitals earned Leapfrog’s “Straight A” honor, receiving five or more “A” ratings in a row. Across Prisma Health, Hillcrest Hospital demonstrated the greatest improvement in overall scoring as compared to the fall 2020 ratings release.
Kristin Vondrak, Prisma Health’s chief quality executive, said, “In a year of unprecedented challenges in healthcare, I am especially grateful for everyone’s ongoing commitment to quality, safety and being the difference.”
Many Prisma Health campuses saw an improvement in their overall performance as compared to the prior reporting period. “Even where improvements in performance may not have generated advancement to the next higher letter grade on Leapfrog’s scale, we are proud of the dedication and focus our performance reflects,” said Vondrak.
Leapfrog’s spring 2021 Hospital Safety Grades for Prisma Health:
- Baptist Easley Hospital: A (fall 2020 = A)
- Baptist Hospital: B (fall 2020 = B)
- Baptist Parkridge Hospital: A (fall 2020 = A)
- Greenville Memorial Hospital: A (fall 2020 = A)
- Greer Memorial Hospital: A (fall 2020 = A)
- Hillcrest Hospital: A (fall 2020 = A)
- Laurens County Hospital: A (fall 2020 = B)
- Oconee Memorial Hospital: A (fall 2020 = A)
- Richland Hospital: C (fall 2020 = C)
- Tuomey Hospital: C (fall 2020 = C)
Vondrak added, “At Prisma Health, we are committed to a culture of continuously improving the consumer experience and the quality of services provided across the healthcare continuum. Like all healthcare systems, this is a journey, and we are continuously learning, enhancing, and building upon our solid foundation steeped in clinical best practices. Our focus always remains on our consumers, patients and families–providing exceptional, safe care to every patient, every day, every time as a trusted partner in our community.”
“We are extremely grateful to hospital leadership and health care workers who have remained steadfast in prioritizing patient safety as our nation battles COVID-19,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. To see Prisma Health’s full grade details, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
Not all Prisma Health hospitals are included in the report. The Leapfrog Group excludes locations that do not meet certain data thresholds surrounding patient volumes and services offered. It also excludes critical access and specialty hospitals, such as the Children’s Hospitals in Columbia and Greenville and the Heart Hospital in Columbia. These ratings were compiled using national performance data ranging from 2017–2020.
About Prisma Health
Prisma Health is a not-for-profit health company and the largest healthcare system in South Carolina. With nearly 30,000 team members, 18 hospitals, 2,947 beds and more than 300 physician practice sites, Prisma Health serves more than 1.2 million unique patients annually. Its goal is to improve the health of all South Carolinians by enhancing clinical quality, the patient experience and access to affordable care, as well as conducting clinical research and training the next generation of medical professionals. For more information, visit PrismaHealth.org.
