SMH Continues Straight “A” Safety Streak

May 11, 2022 – Sarasota

Sarasota Memorial Hospital received another “A” in the spring 2022 Hospital Safety report cards released by the Leapfrog Group today.

The national distinction recognizes the Sarasota hospital for its continuous achievements in protecting hospitalized patients from medical errors and preventable harm. 

The latest grades provide a look at the impact of COVID-19 on patient safety in nearly 3,000 hospitals nationwide. Many hospitals received lower scores in the pandemic-era timeframe, reflecting how patient care worsened due to strains on the health care system and workforce, the Leapfrog report notes. 

Sarasota Memorial, however, maintained its straight-A streak. It has earned consecutive A’s since it began participating in the Leapfrog survey in 2016. SMH-Venice, which opened in November 2021, is not yet eligible to participate in the Leapfrog survey.

“Despite the rapid growth of our population, year after year of record-breaking patient volumes, and myriad challenges from the pandemic, our staff has once again demonstrated their expertise and unwavering commitment to deliver safe, high-quality care to our community,” said Sarasota Memorial Health Care System Chief Medical Officer James Fiorica, MD. 

“This community should be proud,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is an outstanding achievement, and one that is not possible without a 24/7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm. As our health care system continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of Sarasota Memorial for sustained commitment to patient safety, day in and day out.”

The Leapfrog Group assigns hospitals across the nation A, B, C, D or F safety grades in the spring and fall of each year assigns letter grades to hospitals based on 30 national performance measures reflecting each hospital’s record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. Across all states, 33 percent of hospitals surveyed in the spring 2022 hospital safety study received an “A,” 24% received a “B,” 36% received a “C,” 7% received a “D,” and less than 1% received an “F.” 

The Leapfrog grading system is peer-reviewed, free to the public and designed to help patients choose the safest hospitals for their care. To view the full results of the Spring 2022 Leapfrog survey, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.