Mercy Hospital Joplin Earns A Grade from Safety Watchdog Leapfrog Group

Mercy Hospital Joplin has received its 15th straight A in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for achievements in protecting patients from harm and errors in the hospital.

“Mercy Joplin’s straight-A streak goes back to 2015,” said Jeremy Drinkwitz, president of Mercy Hospital Joplin. “If that doesn’t prove our commitment to quality patient care, I don’t know what could. It’s all made possible by the dedication our bedside co-workers bring to their patients every single day. Thank you to every single one of you who help make sure every Mercy patient has all of their needs met.”

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns letter grades to hospitals across the country based on more than 30 performance measures reflecting errors, injuries, accidents, infections and the protocols hospitals have in place to prevent harm to patients.

In Missouri, Mercy Hospital Joplin was one of only 18 hospitals throughout the state to earn an A grade from Leapfrog in the Spring 2022 grades. In the Joplin area, Mercy was the only hospital to receive an A grade in the most recent assessment.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public at hospitalsafetygrade.org. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

“As our health care system continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of Mercy Hospital Joplin 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.”

“Our co-workers take great pride in providing the best possible care to their patients,” said Donna O’Keefe, interim patient safety manager. “They don’t do it thinking about awards or recognition, but we appreciate The Leapfrog Group taking note of the work they do and the care they take to make sure every patient has a safe environment in our hospital.”

The most recent A grade from The Leapfrog Group is in addition to Mercy Joplin’s recognition as a Top Hospital by Leapfrog, and another A grade, in the Fall 2021 Hospital Grades.

To see Mercy Hospital Joplin’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.