LeConte Earns “A” Grade in Patient Safety

 Covenant Health’s Nine Acute-Care Facilities Receive Top Scores from The Leapfrog Group

SEVIERVILLE, TENN. – May 1, 2024 – LeConte Medical Center has earned an “A” hospital safety grade for Spring 2024 from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization which collects and reports data related to safety, quality, and other aspects of hospitals’ performance.

LeConte is a member of Covenant Health, and each of the healthcare organization’s nine acute-care hospitals throughout East Tennessee received an “A” grade for Spring 2024. 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.

“This is an extreme honor for our patient outcomes to be recognized so highly amongst other hospitals nationally,” said Aaron Burns, president and chief administrative officer of LeConte Medical Center. “Receiving an “A” from Leapfrog verifies that our team brings excellent care to our community. I am very proud of everyone’s diligent work to make this recognition possible.”

“Covenant Health is well-respected for the high quality of care we provide in our communities, and we are pleased to be recognized at a national level,” said Mike Belbeck, executive vice president of operations for Covenant Health. “Across our entire organization, we continually focus on internal processes for improving patient safety. Our hospitals have achieved high levels of performance, often exceeding national benchmarks, in areas such as preventing healthcare-associated infections. I applaud our staff for their dedication to fulfilling Covenant Health’s pledge of excellence.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program focused exclusively 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 fall and spring. 

“Everyone who works at Covenant Health should be proud of this ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It takes complete dedication at every level, and an ironclad commitment to putting patients first. I thank Covenant Health’s facilities, leadership, clinicians, staff, and volunteers for caring so deeply for patients and their safety.”

In addition to LeConte, other Covenant Health hospitals earning “A” safety grades are Claiborne Medical Center, Tazewell; Cumberland Medical Center, Crossville; Fort Loudoun Medical Center, Lenoir City; Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, Knoxville; Methodist Medical Center, Oak Ridge; Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System, Morristown; Parkwest Medical Center, Knoxville; and Roane Medical Center, Harriman.

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

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About Covenant Health
Covenant Health is a Tennessee-based healthcare enterprise committed to providing the right care at the right time and place. As a not-for-profit health system, we are dedicated to being the region’s premier healthcare network through service, community and innovation. We provide patient-centered care that inspires clinical and service excellence and strive to be the first and best choice for our patients, employees, physicians, employers, volunteers and communities. Covenant Health is the area’s largest employer and has more than 11,000 compassionate caregivers, expert clinicians, and dedicated employees and volunteers. Learn more at CovenantHealth.com. To learn more about LeConte Medical Center, visit the hospital website.

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.