Recognition represents the third consecutive year the hospital has received the highest rating

An announcement released nationally by the independent hospital watchdog, The Leapfrog Group, identifies key shifts among many hospitals on the A, B, C, D and F grades rating them on errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. Once again, Carney Hospital earned an A in this elite national ratings program, recognizing its strong commitment to patient safety. The Hospital Safety Score is the gold standard rating for patient safety, compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading patient safety experts and administered by The Leapfrog Group, a national, independent nonprofit. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the Hospital Safety Score is free to the public and designed to give consumers information they can use to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay.

“Receiving an ‘A’ rating for safety provides confirmation of Carney Hospital’s commitment to clinical excellence and delivering quality care,” said Carney Hospital president, Walter Ramos. “To earn the top mark for safety for three years in a row is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of hospital’s entire staff.”

“Carney Hospital’s A grade is a powerful reminder of its commitment to putting patient safety above all else, and we are pleased to recognize the persistent efforts of your clinicians and staff to protect your patients,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, which administers the Hospital Safety Score. “Our families, neighbors, colleagues and friends deserve a hospital that will pull out all the stops to keep them safe, and we urge Carney Hospital and all other A hospitals to preserve and renew your commitment to safety year after year.”

Developed under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single A, B, C, D, or F score, representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm. More than 2,500 U.S. general hospitals were assigned scores in October 2015, with 773 hospitals receiving an A grade. The Hospital Safety Score is fully transparent, offering a full analysis of the data and methodology used in determining grades on the website. Patients can also review their hospital’s past safety performance alongside its current grade on the Hospital Safety Score site, allowing them to determine which local hospitals have the best track record in patient safety and which have demonstrated consistent improvement.

To see Carney Hospital’s full score, and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients and loved ones visiting the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.

About Carney Hospital
Since 1863, Carney Hospital has served the City of Boston and neighboring communities. Carney Hospital has received the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for health care quality and safety and numerous other quality and safety awards. The 159-bed hospital has more than 400 physicians and delivers quality care to approximately 37,000 patients annually. Carney Hospital provides Dorchester and surrounding communities with convenient, local access to quality primary care, emergency medicine and a range of specialties and subspecialties including; critical care, family medicine, cardiology, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, ambulatory care and adolescent, adult and geriatric psychiatry. Carney Hospital is part of the Steward Health Care Network. To learn more, please visit: www.carneyhospital.org

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. Hospital Safety Score, 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.