There’s nothing unlucky about it: Piedmont Macon Medical Center has earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group for the 13^th consecutive time. Meanwhile, Piedmont Macon North Hospital has received an “A” for the 9^th grading period in a row.

Not only have both of Macon’s Piedmont hospitals received A’s this fall, but they also have earned the elite “Straight A” designation. That honor recognizes hospitals that earned an A in at least the last five consecutive grading periods.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety, assigns a letter grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems that hospitals have in place to prevent them. Hospitals are given a letter grade – ranging from A to F – each spring and fall.

Piedmont Macon Chief Medical Officer Gary Bernstein, M.D, said quality and safety remain a major focus for both hospitals.

“The Leapfrog scores validate the priority that our entire care team – from the patient care techs and nurses to the physicians and hospital leaders – places on patient safety, quality care and selfless service,” Dr. Bernstein said. “We couldn’t see this kind of prolonged success without everyone pulling together and working as a team.”

Stephen J. Daugherty, CEO of both Piedmont hospitals in Macon, noted that Piedmont Macon Medical has held onto its top score since the fall of 2018, and Macon North has kept an A grade since the fall of 2020. Both hospitals maintained their superior grades through the turbulent COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are honored to have earned this recognition over such a long period of time and to earn the elite ‘Straight A’ designation,” Daugherty said. “The unwavering dedication of our team to safety and quality is commendable, and to see firsthand the hard work that goes into providing high quality care for our patients every day is one of the greatest rewards.”

Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group, said achieving an ‘A’ grade is a significant accomplishment.

“It reflects enormous dedication to your patients and their families, and your whole community should be proud,” she said. “I extend my congratulations to both Piedmont Macon Medical Center and Piedmont Macon North Hospital, their leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for their tireless efforts to put patients first.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

To explore Piedmont Macon Medical and Macon North’s full grade details and to find valuable tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.