Meritus earns its fifth ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade

Leapfrog grade for fall 2024 gives Meritus Medical Center a ‘Straight A’ designation

HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Meritus Medical Center earned its fifth straight “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety.

Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.

Grades are given twice annually. The measures were taken from records during fall 2024. Only about 27 percent of hospitals in Maryland earned an “A” grade this cycle.

Meritus is a "Straight A" hospital, having earned an "A" in at least five consecutive cycles of the Hospital Safety Grade, according to Leapfrog. Meritus earned its first “A” grade in the spring of 2023. It is in the top 12 percent of hospitals nationwide to achieve this consistent excellence.

“We are thrilled to have earned our fifth straight ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from Leapfrog,” said Chief Operating Officer Carrie Adams, Pharm.D. “We take this as a reflection of our team members’ quality care in safeguarding our patients, and we pledge to continue that care to continue enhancing the health of our community.”

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. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

“Achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade reflects enormous dedication to patient safety,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “I extend my congratulations to Meritus Medical Center, its leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for creating a culture where patients come first.”

To explore Meritus’ full grade details and to find valuable tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

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Meritus Health, Western Maryland’s largest health care provider, is located at the crossroads of Western Maryland, Southern Pennsylvania and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The mission of Meritus Health is to improve the health of the region by providing the best healthcare, health services and medical education. As an anchor organization for the community, Meritus has 4,000 employees and serves more than 200,000 residents of the tristate region through Meritus Medical Center, Brook Lane Health Services, Meritus Medical Group, Meritus Home Health, Meritus Equipped for Life, and the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. More information can be found at www.MeritusHealth.com or visit our Facebook page or LinkedIn page.