By Kim Van Sickel 

VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital has once again achieved an “A” grade, the highest possible rating, from The Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2024 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. This national designation underscores the hospital’s dedication to protecting patients from preventable harm and reflects its commitment to providing high-quality, nationally recognized care as a trusted local access point for the Tappahannock and Northern Neck communities.

The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization focused on advancing healthcare quality and safety. It assigns safety grades to participating hospitals nationwide twice annually, in the spring and fall. These ratings are based exclusively on a hospital’s efforts to prevent medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections, and other potential harms to patients.

“Providing safe, high-quality care is at the heart of our mission,” said Liz Martin, president of VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital. “We are proud to be a trusted healthcare provider in our community, delivering nationally recognized care close to home. As part of VCU Health, we’re able to drive continuous improvement by leveraging best practices and knowledge sharing across our entire health system.”

Hospitals that receive an ‘A’ excel in 22 evidence-based safety measures aimed at reducing patient harm and improving outcomes, such as shorter hospital stays and lower mortality rates.

Tappahannock Hospital leadership focuses on appropriate staffing, providing manageable workloads for nurses and ensuring that critical care physicians are always available. Clinical teams promote medication safety, adherence to patient safety practices and comprehensive infection prevention strategies.

Some of the hospital’s recent accomplishments include maintaining zero reportable hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), zero central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI), and catheter associated urinary infections (CAUTI) for over a year and earning Stroke Ready Certification from DNV. This certification highlights the hospital’s capability to swiftly identify and respond to stroke symptoms, ensuring timely intervention for patients who need specialized care.

As part of its proactive culture of safety, Tappahannock Hospital team members are encouraged to report and learn from near-miss events and speak up about safety concerns. The hospital has established several programs, technologies, and systems to detect and address potential issues early.

“Our commitment to safety is rooted in our dedication to continuous improvement,” added Dr. Robert Culley, emergency physician and Chief Medical Officer of VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital. “From following rigorous safety protocols to collaborating with our colleagues across VCU Health, we strive to deliver the highest level of care. Every member of our team, as well as our patients and their families, plays a vital role in our journey to excellence.”

The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public. To see VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.