WellStar Paulding Hospital Earns 'A' Safety Rating

HIRAM, GA — WellStar Paulding Hospital has been ranked among the safest hospitals in the state by Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades.

The local hospital was one of just 13 hospitals in the state to receive an "A" ranking.

The patient safety group released its new grades this month and noted a general downward trend for Georgia. Less than 20 percent of hospitals in the state earned an "A" this spring.

The report card assigns A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide and is considered the most complete picture of patient safety in the U.S.

WellStar Douglas has consistently received A scores.

"We’ve always got our eye on delivering world-class healthcare to patients in Paulding County," said Vicky Hogue, chief nursing officer at WellStar Paulding Hospital. "Our team members go above and beyond to provide the safest care using best practices. We are supported by our state-of-the-art facility which was designed to keep patients and team members safe."

Developed under the guidance of an expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

"Protecting patients from harm is the most important charge for any hospital," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "We recognize and appreciate ‘A' hospitals’ vigilance and continued dedication to keeping their patients safe."

Photo courtesy WellStar Health System