Local hospitals fare well on hospital safety report

Four of five local hospitals on the nonprofit Leapfrog Group's fall hospital safety grades list received top grades.

Leapfrog analyzes up to 30 performance metrics, including rates of preventable errors, injuries and infections, for the list. Safety grades are updated twice a year.

The full list of local hospitals ranked on Leapfrog's list, in alphabetical order, are as follows:
• Citizens Memorial Hospital, A
• Cox Medical Center Branson, A
• Cox Medical Center South, C
• Mercy Hospital Lebanon, A
• Mercy Hospital Springfield, A

“This is no small feat, and now we have earned a Leapfrog A four consecutive times," said John Myers, president of Mercy Springfield Communities, in a news release.

CMH CEO Michael Calhoun echoed similar comments in a separate news release.

"The Leapfrog safety standards align with CMH's vision of being the safest place for patients to receive care," he said in the release.

Dr. Shawn Usery, senior vice president and chief medical officer for CoxHealth, said in a news release that the health system’s Branson hospital rank “showcases our system’s hard work and improvement on our health care safety journey.”

“These ratings are deeper than stars and letter grades. They highlight the dedication of our teams who fulfill our vision to be the best for those who need us,” Usery said in the release.