Saint Francis Medical Center Achieves Best in the Nation �A� Grade

By Maryann Reese, RN, DHA, MHA, FACHE

President and Chief Executive Officer, Saint Francis Healthcare System

What does a Leapfrog �A� score mean to our community? An �A� is hard to achieve and is only given out to the best hospitals in the nation for safety and quality. Where you get your healthcare matters because death from medical errors is the third leading cause of death in the United States. You deserve to know the quality of the healthcare you are receiving. What hospital you choose matters. An �A� means no one in our community should travel anywhere else for healthcare that is provided right here close to home. Your regional Medical Center, Saint Francis, is not just a beautiful place; it is one of the safest hospitals in the country.

This �A� represents our hard work designing care. At Saint Francis, our physicians, surgeons, providers, nurses, clinicians, operating room teams and support staff do not just let care happen; they design the care we give. We continually turn acceptable care into exceptional care, one patient at a time. Our team brings top-notch, evidenced-based, �medicine to the highest power� healthcare to the communities we serve. We are in the business of healthcare, and we are proud of the care we provide. Our patients trust us with their lives, a sacred covenant we take very seriously. When our patients enter our doors, we believe each one deserves to be cared for as family. After all, our patients are our family.

We take this moment to celebrate our �A� and rejoice in our accomplishments. But not for too long, as there is always so much more to do. Thank you to my awesome team who make me so proud every single day to be their leader. It is truly a privilege to see, know and feel how they turn acceptable care into exceptional care for the communities we are called to serve.

Visit www.sfmc.net/leapfrog and www.leapfrogfroup.org for more information.