McLeod Health Clarendon and McLeod Health Cheraw received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2022. This national distinction celebrates their achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital.

“This is the fifth consecutive grading period that McLeod Health Clarendon has achieved an ‘A’ safety score on this national recognition,” said Rachel Gainey, McLeod Health Clarendon CEO. “Our teams are to be commended for their dedication to providing safe, quality care for every patient we have the privilege to serve. This recognition underscores the relentless commitment of our entire staff. Our quality outcomes continue to improve and that translates into better, more effective and safer care for those who entrust us with their health needs. McLeod Health Clarendon’s pursuit of quality improvements is unending, and our staff is dedicated to delivering the highest level of medical services to the region.”

The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization with a 10-year history of assigning letter grades to general hospitals throughout the United States, based on a hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Hospital Safety Grade results are based on more than 30 national performance measures and are updated each fall and spring.

“McLeod Health Cheraw is dedicated to delivering clinical excellence and the Leapfrog Group recognition of an ‘A’ safety score validates our commitment to providing our patients the highest level of quality care,” said Bren Lowe, McLeod Health Cheraw CEO. “Our teams work diligently to provide the most effective medical care to those that choose McLeod Health Cheraw. We are committed to exceeding national healthcare best practices for our patients and community.”

“McLeod Health Clarendon and McLeod Health Cheraw are continuously following evidence-based methods that lead to the improvement in quality and safety performance,” said Dr. Catherine Rabon, Regional Chief Medical Officer for McLeod Health.  “We are pleased to see these improvements reflected in our health safety grades by receiving an ‘A’ rating. This recognition correlates to our teams’ daily work of providing excellent, compassionate care to our patients. Surveys such as Leapfrog are important in helping us identify where we can focus continued efforts.”

Additionally, McLeod Health Clarendon was recognized as The Leapfrog Group’s Best Hospital for Maternity Care in 2022. Hospitals were required to meet criteria specific to providing maternity care and only 259 hospitals were selected nationally for the maternity care list. Those criteria included achieving national standards on early elective deliveries, cesarean birth, episiotomy, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis, bilirubin screening and high-risk deliveries.

“I applaud the hospital leadership and workforce for their strong commitment to safety and transparency,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a sign that hospitals are continuously evaluating their performance, so that they can best protect patients. Your hospital team should be extremely proud of their dedication and achievement.”