MOULTRIE, Ga. – Colquitt Regional Medical Center was one of 15 hospitals in Georgia awarded an “A” for its efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S. Much like a report card, the Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.

“We are always aiming to improve healthcare quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. We are thankful for organizations like The Leapfrog Group who keep us and other hospitals accountable for patient safety. This is our 8th consecutive ‘A,’ which speaks volumes about the quality of care you will receive when you enter our facility. ‘A’s’ should no longer be a surprise, but an expectation,” said Colquitt Regional President and CEO Jim Matney.

The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the life-saving information they need to make informed decisions.

“This distinction is what separates us from our competitors, and it should be taken into consideration when choosing a hospital,” said Richard Bass, Colquitt Regional Board of Trustees chairman. “Safety scores are the primary guide for measuring standards of care in hospitals, and our consistent high ranking score should mean a great deal to our patients,” he said.

“This is the only national rating of how well hospitals protect patients from preventable harm and death, such as medical errors, infections, and injuries,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Receiving an ‘A’ Safety Grade means a hospital is among the best in the country for preventing these terrible problems and putting their patients first, 24 hours a day.”

Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to approximately 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

To see Colquitt Regional Medical Center’s full grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade on Twitter and Facebook.

The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care.

Colquitt Regional Medical Center is a 151-bed capacity hospital that completed an extensive expansion and renovation in 2014. The hospital recently opened the doors to the new Edwards Cancer Center and Sterling Center Women’s Health facilities. Construction is currently underway on the third floor that will allow for additional inpatient rooms, and three new physicians are slated to join the medical staff this summer.