Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital (VTHH) received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2022. This national distinction recognizes VTHH’s achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital.
“This honor is the result of the improvements we’ve been able to make since becoming part of the Vanderbilt Health family and the dedication of all of our clinicians and staff to ensure patient safety above all else,” said Richard Ellis, president of VTHH.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center acquired the hospital, originally known as Tennova Healthcare-Harton hospital, in January of 2021. Since the acquisition, Vanderbilt Health’s resources and expertise have augmented hospital operations, including safety best practices.
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
“As our health care systems continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital for sustained commitment to patient safety, day in and day out,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is an outstanding achievement, and one that is not possible without a 24/7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm. This community should be proud.”
