In the midst of a pandemic, they might not have much time to celebrate, but those frontline heroes in the headlines everyday are being reaffirmed at Spectrum Health Lakeland in St. Joseph for their attention to patient safety. 
Spectrum Health Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph received an “A” grade and Lakeland Hospital Niles received a “B” grade in the spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing the hospital system’s achievements in protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.
The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to healthcare 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.
Kendall Troyer, MHSA, Vice President Organizational Excellence and Quality, Spectrum Health Lakeland, says, “We are continually striving to improve patient safety and provide excellent outcomes for our patients,” and adds, “Receiving this high honor from The Leapfrog Group further validates the important work our team members dedicate their lives to each and every day.”
Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, says, “As the Nation copes with a challenging pandemic, our gratitude extends to hospital leadership and health care workers everywhere for their tremendous dedication,” and concludes, “We hope this safety grade helps to thank the people who work and volunteer for Spectrum Health Lakeland. 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.
