Baton Rouge General receives another ‘A’ for patient safety

For six years, BRG receives more top safety ratings than any other local hospital

Baton Rouge, La. – Today, Baton Rouge General again received an ‘A’ for patient Safety from the Leapfrog Group. Only 15 hospitals in Louisiana and two in East Baton Rouge Parish received an ‘A’ rating in the fall report. This is the sixth year in a row for Baton Rouge General to receive an ‘A’ from the Leapfrog Group, more than any other local hospital.

“A hospital’s ability to keep its patients safe isn’t just a nice-to-have award,” said Dr. Kenny Cole, Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at BRG. “It can actually mean the difference between life and death.”

Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Score program reviews the outcomes and processes of more than 2,600 facilities across the country and generates a report card for each, with an A, B, C, D or F letter grade, indicating the hospital’s overall outcomes in keeping patients safe from potentially preventable healthcare acquired conditions, such as infections and bedsores, as well as leadership and structures that promote patient safety.

Analysis shows that even hospitals with B ratings could save more than 4,000 lives per year if they operated at A-ratings, and more than 33,000 lives could be saved if all hospitals performed at an A-grade level. In addition, patients who are treated at C-rated hospitals have a 35% greater risk of avoidable death than those at an A-rated hospital, and those who go to hospitals with D- and F-grades have a 50% greater chance of avoidable death.

“We work hard to preserve and restore the health of each and every patient we care for,” said Edgardo Tenreiro, President and CEO of BRG. “This award reflects the commitment of our physicians, nurses and every member of our team to make that goal a reality.”

BRG was also named #1 in Greater Baton Rouge for Overall Medical Care by CareChex for 2015, 2016 and 2017, was named in the top 2% of hospitals nationwide for Overall Medical Care by CareChex in 2017 and received the Patient Safety Excellence Award from Healthgrades in 2016.

Learn more about BRG’s patient safety efforts.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center

Baton Rouge General Medical Center is the area’s first community hospital with 588 licensed beds between two campuses. Baton Rouge General opened its doors in 1900, and has provided the Greater Baton Rouge community with high-quality healthcare for generations. An accredited teaching hospital since 1991, Baton Rouge General offers other medical education programs, including a School of Nursing, School of Radiologic Technology, Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org, find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/BatonRougeGeneral and follow us on Twitter at @BRGeneral.

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.