Piedmont Macon Medical Center and Piedmont Macon North Hospital both extended their streaks of “A” Hospital Safety Grades from The Leapfrog Group, which recognizes hospital achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and errors.

Piedmont Macon Medical Center has received its 11^th consecutive A, while Piedmont Macon North Hospital has received seven A’s in a row.

“The continuation of earning the highest Leapfrog scores at both of our Piedmont hospitals in Macon is a testament to our continued focus on quality, safety and service,” said Gary Bernstein, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for Piedmont Macon Medical and Piedmont Macon North. “Keeping our patients safe is a cornerstone of what we do at Piedmont, and this recognition shows the hard work that goes into making our hospitals safe for the patients we serve.”

Stephen J. Daugherty, CEO of Piedmont Macon, said he’s pleased with this fall’s Leapfrog scores because they recognize the extraordinary efforts of Piedmont’s entire care team, including leadership, staff and physicians.

“Achieving consecutive straight A’s from Leapfrog over several years is no easy task, so I am thrilled that we continue to meet the top safety standards in healthcare,” Daugherty said. “Most of all, I’m grateful to our community for trusting us with their healthcare needs every single day.”

The Leapfrog Group, which is a national nonprofit watchdog that sets standards for excellence in patient care, has an 11-year history of assigning letter grades to general hospitals throughout the United States. 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 reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems that hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“Earning an ‘A’ Grade means Piedmont Macon Medical Center and Piedmont Macon North Hospital made a true commitment to put patients first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.”

To see Piedmont Macon and Macon North’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visitHospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook and via its newsletter.