Dignity Health Memorial Hospital Nationally Recognized with an ‘A’ for the Spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

BAKERSFIELD, CA ― April 30, 2020 ― 

Dignity Health Memorial Hospital was awarded an ‘A’ in the spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Memorial Hospital’s achievements providing safer health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade is a letter grade assigned to all general hospitals across the country and updated every six months, assessing how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harms to patients. 

“Patient safety is everyone’s goal at Memorial Hospital, from front line clinical care staff and physicians, to housekeeping, security, and hospital leadership.  Every team member plays an important role in quality of care and patient safety and I could not be more thankful to our staff,” says Ken Keller, President/CEO at Memorial Hospital. “The Leapfrog Hospital Safety ‘A’ Grade is a great achievement, especially during this challenging time of coronavirus, and illustrates our commitment to providing the highest quality care to our community.”   

“As the Nation copes with a challenging pandemic, our gratitude extends to hospital leadership and health care workers everywhere for their tremendous dedication,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We hope this ‘A’ helps to thank the people who work and volunteer for Memorial Hospital. They are role models in putting patients first, and their service has been extraordinary in our country’s time of need.” 

Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

Memorial Hospital was awarded an ‘A’ grade today, when Leapfrog updated grades for spring 2020. To see Memorial’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook. 

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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 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. 

About Dignity Health Memorial Hospital 
Dignity Health Memorial Hospital is a 426 bed acute care medical center offering a full range of services including the Sarvanand Heart and Brain Center, Grossman Burn Center at Memorial Hospital, expanded maternity and family care, the Lauren Small Children’s Center including the area’s only dedicated pediatric emergency room, orthopedic services, wound care center, 24-hour emergency care and general/outpatient surgery. Memorial Hospital is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and is home to the Bakersfield Ronald McDonald House and Hope House. A member of CommonSpirit Health, Dignity Health Memorial Hospital is a trusted community partner, serving residents of Bakersfield and Kern County with quality, compassionate care since 1956. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/bakersfieldmemorial.