Billings Clinic again awarded Spring 2023 ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from Leapfrog Group
Grade reflects top national performance on patient safety through COVID-19 pandemic
Billings, MT – Billings Clinic received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. This national distinction celebrates Billings Clinic’s achievements in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. The new grades reflect performance primarily during the height of the pandemic.
“Earning a Leapfrog ‘A’ grade clearly underscores the heartfelt care, dedication and investment of so many people and teams across Billings Clinic, and their consistent willingness to ask if and how we can improve for the sake of our patients and the communities we serve,” said John Schallenkamp, MD, Billings Clinic Chief Quality Officer. “We are incredibly proud of this achievement, not because of the grade itself but because it reflects the work and commitment to safe, quality care required to achieve it. Most importantly, it helps us to identify opportunities for continuous improvement with a constant focus on safety and quality.”
Billings Clinic was also the only large hospital in Montana to earn both a Leapfrog “A” grade and be awarded a U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) 5-star Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating for 2022. This 5-star rating is the highest designation available for hospitals from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The CMS star system is based on weighted quality scores in mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care. The purpose of the CMS star rating system is to provide information to consumers to help them make informed choices about where to get their health care.
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns a grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.
“This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “But this hospital received an ‘A’ despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible.”
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
To see Billings Clinic’s full Leapfrog grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook and via its newsletter.
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 for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new 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. For more, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter.
About Billings Clinic
Billings Clinic is Montana’s largest independent health system. A not-for-profit organization led by a physician CEO, Billings Clinic is governed by a board of community members, nurses and physicians. At its core, Billings Clinic is a physician-led, integrated multispecialty group practice with a Level II trauma center. As a health system Billings Clinic is affiliated with 18 hospitals and clinics in communities across Montana and Wyoming, along with four regional branch clinics. Billings Clinic is the largest trauma center and the first established and longest standing continually accredited trauma center in the state of Montana, and the only Comprehensive Stroke Center in Montana and Wyoming. Billings Clinic has more than 4,700 employees, including nearly 600 physicians and advanced practitioners offering more than 80 specialties. Billings Clinic is the first Magnet-designated health care organization for nursing in Montana and is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. More information can be found at www.billingsclinic.com.
