Ayer, MA – The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care ratings organization, released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades on Oct. 31, 2017. The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D and F to hospitals nationwide based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms. Nashoba Valley Medical Center (NVMC) was awarded an “A” for its commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S. This is NVMC’s third consecutive “A” grade.

“This designation is a great honor to our health care team who carry out our safety and quality initiatives every day of the year,” said Salvatore Perla, president of Nashoba Valley Medical Center. “Our patients can be rest assured that they are receiving the safest, highest quality care in the region.”

Developed under the guidance of a Blue Ribbon National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

“It takes consistent, unwavering dedication to patients to achieve the highest standards of patient safety. An ‘A’ Safety Grade recognizes hospitals for this accomplishment,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the clinicians, Board, management and staff of Nashoba Valley Medical for showing the country what it means to put patient safety first.”

To see NVMC’s full grade, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit 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 its third consecutive A, the highest grade possible, in hospital safety by The Leapfrog Group for the Fall 2017 assessment period. The hospital was 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, geriatric psychiatry, 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 Steward Health Care, which is a fully integrated national health care services organization committed to providing the highest quality of care in the communities where its patients live. Steward operates 36 community hospitals in ten states that employ approximately 37,000 people and regularly receives top awards for quality and safety. The Steward network includes more than 26 urgent care centers, 42 preferred skilled nursing facilities, substantial behavioral health services, over 7,300 beds under management, and more than 1.1 million covered lives through the company’s managed care and health insurance services. Additional information is available at www.nashobamed.org.

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