Parkwest Earns ‘A’ Grade in Patient Safety

The grade marks the second consecutive ‘A’ received

Parkwest Medical Center has earned an ‘A’ hospital safety grade for Fall 2024 from The Leapfrog Group, marking the second consecutive ‘A’ grade the hospital has received.

The Leapfrog Group collects and reports data related to safety, quality, and other aspects of hospitals’ performance. 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.

“Our team earning back-to-back ‘A’ ratings from The Leapfrog Group illustrates our commitment to excellence and keeping our patients safe,” said Devan Johnson, president and chief administrative officer of Parkwest Medical Center. “I’m very proud of our entire team at Parkwest for their hard work and dedication, and how they put our patients first every day.”

“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.”

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 spring and fall. 

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

Parkwest Medical Center 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 Fall 2024. 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; LeConte Medical Center, Sevierville; Methodist Medical Center, Oak Ridge; Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System, Morristown; 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 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.