For the Second Consecutive Time, All Covenant Health Hospitals Earn ‘A’ Grades in Patient Safety

November 15, 2024 – Each of Covenant Health’s nine acute-care hospitals in East Tennessee has earned an ‘A’ hospital safety grade for Fall 2024 from The Leapfrog Group, marking the second consecutive semester all facilities achieved this top rating.

The Leapfrog Group collects and reports data related to safety, quality, and other aspects of hospitals’ performance. Twice a year, Leapfrog assigns safety grades based on over 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.

Covenant Health hospitals receiving ‘A’ grades were:

• Claiborne Medical Center, Tazewell
• Cumberland Medical Center, Crossville
• Fort Loudoun Medical Center, Lenoir City
• Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, Knoxville
• LeConte Medical Center, Sevierville
• Methodist Medical Center, Oak Ridge
• Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System, Morristown
• Parkwest Medical Center, Knoxville
• Roane Medical Center, Harriman

“I am thrilled that all nine of our acute-care hospitals received an ‘A’ grade from The Leapfrog Group for patient safety. That sends a very strong signal to the community and the patients we serve that we care about their safety,” said Jim VanderSteeg, president and chief executive officer of Covenant Health. “I’m very proud of everyone who works at Covenant Health for helping us achieve that score. That took an incredible dedication and effort on the part of our physicians, caregivers, leaders and board.”

“Covenant Health is pleased that once again, each of our facilities have been recognized by The Leapfrog Group for our commitment to patient safety. Receiving another ‘A’ safety grade is a testament to our diligence in making our patients and their safety our top priority,” said Debbi Honey, senior vice president and chief nursing officer for Covenant Health. “It is because of the hard work and dedication of every person in our organization that we earn national recognitions for the care we provide that helps us be the best choice for our patients.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the spring and fall. 

“Achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade is a significant accomplishment for Covenant Health hospitals,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It reflects enormous dedication to patients and their families, and the community should be proud. I extend my congratulations to all Covenant Health hospitals, their leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for their tireless efforts to put patients first.”

To see details about the safety grades and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

###

About The Leapfrog Group                                                                                    

The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.