Ayer, MA – Nashoba Valley Medical Center (NVMC) has been honored with another “A” grade in the Spring 2017 update to the Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group, an independent industry watchdog and the nation’s leading experts on patient safety. The Hospital Safety Grade rates how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections. NVMC also received an “A” grade in the Fall 2016 update.

“Receiving another A makes us extremely proud of the work we do every day to ensure the safety of our patients who come to Nashoba Valley Medical Center for their health care needs,” said Salvatore Perla, president of Nashoba Valley Medical Center. “Patient safety is always our top priority, and it is extremely rewarding when our efforts are recognized at this level.”

Calculated under the guidance of The Leapfrog Group’s Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm. More than 2,600 general U.S. hospitals were assigned grades this spring with 823 hospitals receiving an “A” ranking.

“Hospitals that earn top marks nationally in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, ‘have achieved the highest safety standards in the country,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “That takes commitment from every member of the hospital staff, who all deserve thanks and congratulations when their hospitals achieve an ‘A’ Safety Grade.”

Nashoba Valley Medical Center’s grade as it compares nationally and locally can be found at www.hospitalsafetygrade.org. The Hospital Safety Grade website also provides information on how the public can protect themselves, family and friends during a hospital stay.

About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital 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.

About Nashoba Valley Medical Center
Nashoba Valley Medical Center (NVMC) offers community-based primary care and specialty services. NVMC was awarded an A, the highest grade possible, in hospital safety by the Leapfrog Group, is a recipient of the Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval, and was named to Leapfrog’s annual list of Top Hospitals in 2014. Areas of clinical strength include emergency medicine, diagnostic imaging, cardiology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, oncology, orthopedics, physical therapy and general surgery. NVMC also offers a comprehensive Center for Pain Management, Diabetes and Endocrine Center, Travel Clinic and Occupational Health Services. Nashoba Valley Medical Center is part of the Steward Health Care System LLC, the largest integrated community care organization in New England which combines over 3,000 physicians, 10 acute care hospital campuses, managed care, insurance programs, home care, an imaging operation, and a number of other post-acute services, to provide the most cost effective and highest quality of integrated patient care. Additional information is available at www.nashobamed.org.

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