South Texas Health System Edinburg and South Texas Health System McAllen, South Texas Health System’s two largest acute care facilities, have both earned their 6th ‘A’ grade in a row for hospital safety from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization that advocates for hospital transparency.
Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, considered “the gold standard of patient safety,” are given by the well-respected nonprofit organization to more than 2,600 general acute care hospitals across the nation. South Texas Health System Edinburg and South Texas Health System McAllen’s ‘A’ grades, awarded for Spring 2021 to only five hospitals in the entire Rio Grande Valley, are the highest marks that can be granted to a facility for providing safer healthcare and protecting patients from harm.
“To earn an ‘A’ grade from Leapfrog for the 6th consecutive time is a real honor for every member of the STHS staff. It’s a reflection of our firm commitment to providing high quality compassionate care to our patients, especially during the ongoing pandemic. Despite the impact COVID-19 has had on our community over the last year, we’ve never wavered in our pledge to always put patient safety first,” says Lance Ames, CEO of South Texas Health System Edinburg. “Patients should pay close attention to a hospital’s safety and quality record when they consider undergoing medical treatments. With our consistent high marks, patients can rest assured that the care South Texas Health System provides is among the safest in Hidalgo County.”
Established under the direction of a national panel of experts, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to acute care facilities twice per year. The methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public. After measurements of medical-error prevention, injuries, accidents, infections and other patient safety issues are analyzed, each hospital is given an A, B, C, D or F grade.
“To receive an ‘A’ grade six years in a row takes teamwork, as well as a total commitment to the safety of each patient in our care. The entire STHS McAllen staff should be proud of this accomplishment, which demonstrates that we’ve been able to provide first-rate, reliable and safe healthcare every day, even during a global pandemic,” says Todd Mann, CEO of South Texas Health System McAllen. “And we don’t plan to rest on our laurels. STHS McAllen remains dedicated to putting in the hard work to provide exceptional, high quality healthcare services every day.”
For more details on South Texas Health System Edinburg and South Texas Health System McAllen ’s grades, as well as safety grades of other hospitals throughout the country, visit the Leapfrog website at www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.
About South Texas Health System
South Texas Health System is a multi-hospital healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four hospital campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system’s South Texas Health System Behavioral Health campus location. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan, and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level II Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first and only pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, a specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart, and six freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen and Alamo. For more information on the system, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com
