Mercy Fort Smith Receives 10th Straight 'A' for Patient Safety

Mercy Hospital Fort Smith received an “A” grade in the spring 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, a national distinction recognizing the hospital's achievements in protecting patients from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety.

The grade is Mercy Hospital Fort Smith’s 10^th consecutive A, dating to 2016. Mercy Fort Smith is one of only three hospitals in Arkansas to receive an A during this grading period. Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas also received an A.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade assigns an A-F letter grade to all general hospitals across the country and is updated every six months. It is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospitals’ prevention of medical errors and other harms to patients in their care.

“Ten straight A’s for patient safety speaks volumes about the care our co-workers and providers offer,” said Ryan Gehrig, president of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith. “COVID-19 brought unprecedented challenges to our health care environment, but our co-workers continue to meet those challenges every day. Our team members are to be commended for their continued excellence in making sure our facilities are safe for our patients."

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, Leapfrog safety grades use up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign ratings to more than 2,700 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice each year. The methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and results are free to the public.

“An A safety grade is an elite designation that your community should be proud of,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “The past year has been extraordinarily difficult for hospitals, but those achieving an A grade show us it is possible to keep a laser focus on patients and their safety, no matter what it takes.”

To see the hospitals’ full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.

Among its other recognitions, Mercy Hospital Fort Smith was designated as a Blue Distinction Center for knee and hip replacement by Blue Cross Blue Shield in 2020 and has a 4-star rating from CMS.