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The Claiborne Medical Center has once again earned a top grade, this time for its high-quality performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CMC pulled down a solid ‘A’ on its Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent watchdog organization.

The nationwide nonprofit organization was founded to uphold standards in patient safety inside hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.

The Claiborne Medical Center was awarded this distinction through its ability to prioritize patient safety, protecting patients from preventable harm and errors.

The Leapfrog Group assigns grades from A to F to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures that include errors, accidents, injuries and infections. The grades also reflect just how well the systems in place inside the studied hospitals perform in preventing harm.

The safety grade program is the only one of its kind that rates hospitals based exclusively on prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. These grades are updated twice each year, in the fall and again in the spring.

Patti Ketterman, Chief Administrative Officer of the Claiborne Medical Center, congratulated every employee for their remarkable achievements in maintaining top grades from the nonprofit organization.

“The pandemic was a difficult time in healthcare, and I am proud of the dedication our team has shown to our patients and our community. Their focus on quality and patient safety ensures that our patients receive excellent care at our facility.”

Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, spoke of the achievement.

“This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic. But this hospital (Claiborne Medical Center) received an ‘A’ despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers, and clinicians who together made that possible.”

For the full story on just how well the Claiborne Medical Center did this time around, log onto www.HospitalSafetyGrade.org. The website includes the full grade details and access to patient tips for staying safe while in the hospital.

The Claiborne Medical Center, located in Tazewell, is a member of Covenant Health, a community-owned health system providing comprehensive services in Tennessee. Claiborne Medical Center’s mission is to serve the community by improving the quality of life through better health.

For more information about Claiborne Medical Center, visit www.claibornemedicalcenter.com.

The Leapfrog Group was founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, and is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety.

The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and the new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions.