Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital Nationally Recognized as Top Hospital

Four Methodist hospitals earn "A" in outstanding quality and safety

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Dec 15, 2020, 05:00 ET

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Dec. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital is the only Tennessee hospital to be named a Top Teaching Hospital as designated by The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization committed to healthcare quality and safety. Only the highest performing hospitals on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey are considered for this award and must meet specific criteria for hospital infection rates, practices for safer surgery, maternity care, and a hospital's capacity to prevent medication errors.

"We are honored to receive this competitive award that truly recognizes our unwavering commitment to provide our patients with the safest and highest quality care," said MLH CEO Michael Ugwueke.

Over 2,200 hospitals were considered for the award; 48 were selected as Top Teaching Hospitals. As a 319-bed hospital, Germantown was honored in the category of hospitals with fewer than 500 staffed beds.

"We are excited and proud that Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital's continuous commitment to and achievements in quality and patient safety have been recognized by the Leapfrog Group," said Cristie Upshaw Travis, CEO of the Memphis Business Group on Health and Leapfrog Regional Leader in west Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, and northern Mississippi. "On behalf of the 350,000 employees and their families that receive health care benefits through our members across the state, we thank them for the work it takes to perform at this level."

Because MLH is continuously making efforts to improve on its quality and safety performance, it often looks to other industry standards as a means to measure its progress. Most recently in November, MLH became the first healthcare system in Tennessee to earn full ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification, which demonstrates systematic, repeatable, and well-deployed practices that ensure safe patient care.

Additionally, as part of Leapfrog's Fall 2020 Hospital Safety Grade, four Methodist hospitals earned "A" grades in safety. These grades reflect data collected over three-year look back as well as a portion of data collection that occurred after the onset of the pandemic. Those hospitals include:

- Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital

- Methodist Olive Branch Hospital

- Methodist South Hospital

- Methodist University Hospital

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 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.

"Meeting these strenuous performance standards requires a singular focus, exceptional teamwork and consistent, rigorous processes," says Ugwueke. "Our patients deserve our best. Relentlessly pursuing the highest level of excellence means better health outcomes for our patients, and that remains our primary focus."

MLH voluntarily submits safety surveys to Leapfrog as part of its commitment to transparency.

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. 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 Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) has been caring for patients and families regardless of ability to pay for more than 100 years. Guided by roots in the United Methodist Church and founded in 1918 to help meet the growing need for quality healthcare in the greater Memphis area, MLH has grown from one hospital into a comprehensive healthcare system with 13,000 Associates supporting six hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient facilities, hospice residence and physician practices serving communities across the Mid-South. From transplants and advanced heart procedures to expert neurology services and compassionate cancer care, MLH offers clinical expertise with a focus on improving every life we touch.

SOURCE Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare