Virginia Ranks First Among all States in a New National Scorecard on Patient Safety in Hospitals

November 16, 2021

Latest Fall 2021 Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grades Show 56 Percent of Virginia Hospitals Earned “A” Patient Safety Ratings Amid the Enduring COVID-19 Pandemic; Virginia Has Consistently Been Rated a Top State on the Scorecard

 RICHMOND, VA – Virginia tops all states in the Fall 2021 Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grade state rankings that are based on the share of hospitals in each state that earned “A” grades. In the current rankings, 56.2 percent of Virginia hospitals graded received top marks. That reflects improvement from the Spring 2021 rankings when 50 percent of Virginia hospitals had “A” grades and the Commonwealth ranked fourth among states. Overall, 41 Virginia hospitals earned “A” grades in the current cycle. The Commonwealth has consistently been a high-achieving state in the bi-annual Leapfrog rankings: Virginia ranked sixth among states in the Fall 2020 rankings, third overall in the Fall 2019 ranking, second overall in the Spring 2019 rankings, third overall in the Fall 2018 scores, and fifth overall in the Spring 2018 grading period.

“Virginia is blessed to have a vast network of hospitals to care for people in their hour of need. While these hospitals are each unique in their own way, they share a strong commitment to ensuring all patients receive safe, effective, high-quality care,” said Steve Arner, Carilion Clinic Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and the Chair of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) Board of Directors. “The latest Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grades scorecard listing Virginia first among all states in the rankings confirms that our hospitals consistently strive for excellence on behalf of the patients, families, and communities we serve.”

“Caring for the health and medical needs of patients and communities across Virginia is a duty our hospital members and their teams hold sacred. It is something we have all been reminded of while living through the COVID-19 pandemic,” added VHHA President and CEO Sean T. Connaughton. “Virginia hospitals are committed to the wellbeing of patients, which is reflected in Virginia’s consistently strong performance in the Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grades. These scores are a testament to the ongoing collaborative work by Virginia’s hospitals to intentionally focus on patient safety and health care quality improvement as part of a broader goal to make the Commonwealth the healthiest state in the nation.”

The Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grades assign letter grades to more than 2,700 general acute care hospitals across the nation. In the latest rankings, 41 of 73 Virginia general acute care hospitals evaluated earned “A” grades, placing the Commonwealth first among states in the nation. The list of current “A” rated Virginia hospitals includes these hospitals (an asterisk “*” denotes hospitals that have earned straight “A” grades since 2012):

• Augusta Health
• Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital
• Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center
• Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center
• Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital
• Buchanan General Hospital
• Carilion New River Valley Medical Center
• CJW Medical Center – Chippenham Campus (HCA Virginia)
• CJW Medical Center – Johnston-Willis Campus (HCA Virginia)
• Clinch Valley Medical Center
• Henrico Doctors’ Hospital (HCA Virginia)
• Inova Alexandria Hospital
• Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
• Inova Fairfax Hospital
• Inova Loudoun Hospital*
• Inova Mount Vernon Hospital
• LewisGale Hospital Alleghany (HCA Virginia)
• LewisGale Hospital Montgomery (HCA Virginia)
• LewisGale Hospital Pulaski (HCA Virginia)
• LewisGale Medical Center (HCA Virginia)
• Parham Doctors’ Hospital (HCA Virginia)
• Reston Hospital Center (HCA Virginia)
• Retreat Doctors’ Hospital (HCA Virginia)
• Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg
• Riverside Regional Medical Center
• Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital
• Riverside Walter Reed Hospital
• Sentara CarePlex Hospital*
• Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital
• Sentara Leigh Hospital*
• Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
• Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center
• Sentara Obici Hospital
• Sentara Princess Anne Hospital
• Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center*
• Smyth County Community Hospital
• UVA Culpeper Medical Center
• UVA Haymarket Medical Center
• UVA Prince William Medical Center
• Virginia Hospital Center
• Winchester Medical Center (Valley Health)

About VHHA: The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association is an alliance of 110 hospitals and 25 health delivery systems that develops and advocates for sound health care policy in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to achieve excellence in both health care and health to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. Its vision is through collaboration with members and stakeholders, to ensure the sustainability of Virginia health care system, transform the delivery of care to promote lower costs and high value across the continuum of care, and to improve health for all Virginians. Connect with VHHA through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Julian Walker
Vice President of Communications
(804) 297-3193 office
(804) 304-7402 mobile
jtwalker@vhha.com