15 Military Hospitals Receive Leapfrog's Highest Safety Grade

The Defense Health Agency announced 15 military hospitals got an "A" rating in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade Fall 2024 assessment. This grade reflects the DHA's ongoing dedication to transparency and to providing high-quality, safe care to service members and their families.

The Leapfrog Group is a national, independent organization that focuses on health care quality. Leapfrog evaluates hospital safety measures such as errors, injuries and infections. Their grading system uses more than 30 national performance indicators.

A hospital must meet specific criteria if they want to take part in the assessment. In the Fall 2024 ratings, 32% of participating hospitals nationwide got the highest grade. Of the eligible military hospitals that took part, 75% got an "A" grade.

"Achieving these grades is no small feat," said Dr. Paul Cordts, DHA's deputy assistant director for medical affairs and chief medical officer. "The commitment of our team to ensure the safety of every patient in our care shows that military treatment facilities are among the best in the country when it comes to protecting patients and ensuring high standards."

DHA's engagement with Leapfrog began over five years ago. That's when the Military Health System started using Leapfrog's evaluations in their Quality Assurance Program. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center first used the Leapfrog survey. After getting positive results, DHA expanded the program.

"Our teams have worked hard to implement Leapfrog's quality and safety measures, and we're proud to see those efforts reflected in the grades received," said Cordts. "This achievement is a testament to the skill, dedication and unwavering focus of our medical teams to create a safe environment for our patients."

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade program is updated twice a year. Leapfrog evaluates public and private hospitals. Its grades are based on national standards for hospital safety and highlight risks that patients may face in a health care setting. This includes preventable medical errors and infections. The ratings are publicly available. This helps patients easily find their local health care facilities safety standards.

The 15 military hospitals that got an "A" grade in Fall 2024 are:

• 81st Medical Group, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
• 673d Medical Group, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
• Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
• Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky
• Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Cavazos, Texas
• Evans Army Community Hospital, Fort Carson, Colorado
• Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Moore, Georgia
• Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
• Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida
• Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Virginia
• Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California
• Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
• William Beaumont Army Medical Center, El Paso, Texas
• Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Liberty, North Carolina
• Wright-Patterson Medical Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

Some military hospitals weren't included in this year's final safety grades. This is because they didn't meet the minimum requirements. For hospitals that didn't qualify for official Leapfrog grades, DHA has instituted similar criteria internally for all of its facilities. This ensures patient safety.

"The Leapfrog Safety Grade announcement assures beneficiaries of DHA's focus on safety and quality," said Cordts. "As DHA strengthens its commitment to transparent reporting and health care quality, its patients can feel confident about the care they receive at military hospitals."

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