POCATELLO — Portneuf Medical Center received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. This national distinction celebrates Portneuf Medical Center’s achievements in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. The new grades reflect performance primarily during the height of the pandemic.

“Quality does not just happen. Rather, it is achieved through a rigorous focus on process improvement, an eye on the highest quality patient care and a dedicated health care team,” said Jordan Herget, chief executive officer at Portneuf Medical Center. “I am proud of our team and honored (to) continue to be recognized for our achievements.”

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

“This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “But this hospital received an ‘A’ despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible.”

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

"As our health care system continues to grow and change, I thank the workforce and leadership of Portneuf Medical Center for sustained commitment to patient safety, day in and day out,” said Lance Walker, VP quality management, quality and patient safety. “An ‘A’ safety grade is an outstanding achievement and is evidence of our cultural commitment to patient safety. It is an achievement that is not possible without a 24/7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm. We are very proud of this team and this achievement.”

To see Portneuf Medical Center'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, Facebook and via its newsletter.