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PARSONS, KANSAS –The Leapfrog Group, a Washington D.C-based organization aiming to improve health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers, today released the new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. Labette Health was one of 750 awarded an ‘A”, and the only hospital in southeast Kansas, for its efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.

“It takes consistent dedication from the entire healthcare team to achieve the highest standard in patient quality and safety, said Kathi McKinney, VP/Chief Nursing Officer at Labette Health. “Receiving the “A” rating acknowledges Labette Health’s commitment to providing safe, high quality care right here close to home.”

“This is the only national rating of how well hospitals protect patients from preventable harm and death, such as medical errors, infections, and injuries,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Receiving an ‘A’ Safety Grade means a hospital is among the best in the country for preventing these terrible problems and putting their patients first, 24 hours a day.”

Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to approximately 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

“We are pleased with the recent A grade safety rating from The Leapfrog Group,” said Dr. Jerry Bouman, Chief of Staff. “It reveals the high patient safety standards we strive for at Labette Health and are committed to maintain.”

To see Labette Health’s full grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade on Twitter and Facebook.

About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.

About Labette Health

Labette Health, serving a six-county area since 1961, is a 99 bed licensed hospital that provides acute, intensive and inpatient rehabilitation services. Labette Health, renowned for its comprehensive healthcare services, state-of-the-art technology and skilled medical staff, is a 5-star rated hospital by CMS and has earned national recognition for patient safety. Labette Health has earned numerous quality awards by CareChex, including ranking in the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for patient safety and medical excellence as well as national recognition by U.S. News and World Report for Knee Replacement.