April 30, 2020

UT Medical Center Nationally Recognized with ‘A’ for Spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade 

Knoxville, Tenn. (April 30, 2020) – The University of Tennessee Medical Center earned an ‘A’ in the Spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade a national distinction recognizing the medical center’s achievements for providing safer health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade is a letter grade assigned to all general hospitals across the country and updated every six months, assessing how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harms to patients.

“While there has been significant focus on the safety of healthcare provided during this pandemic, it’s always our top priority to provide safe, high-quality care for our patients,” said Joe Landsman, president and CEO of The University of Tennessee Medical Center. “Recognition from the Leapfrog Group as an ‘A’ grade provider, especially during this time, is a great honor that affirms the dedication and commitment by our physicians, nurses and entire clinical team at the medical center to provide quality care for those we serve.”

This is the 10th consecutive period the medical center has been recognized with an ‘A’ grade by the Leapfrog Group.

“As the Nation copes with a challenging pandemic, our gratitude extends to hospital leadership and health care workers everywhere for their tremendous dedication,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We hope this ‘A’ helps to thank the people who work and volunteer for The University of Tennessee Medical Center. They are role models in putting patients first, and their service has been extraordinary in our country’s time of need.”

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public. To see full grade details for The University of Tennessee Medical Center and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.

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 and 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 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 The University of Tennessee Medical Center

The mission of The University of Tennessee Medical Center, the region’s only hospital to achieve status as a Magnet® recognized organization, is to serve through healing, education and discovery. UT Medical Center, a 685-bed, not-for-profit academic medical center, serves as a referral center for Eastern Tennessee, Southeast Kentucky and Western North Carolina. The medical center, the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, is one of the largest employers in Knoxville. For more information about The University of Tennessee Medical Center, visit online at www.utmedicalcenter.org.