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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton in Clanton has been nationally recognized for its focus on patient safety.

The Leapfrog Group gave the hospital an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2021.

“I’m extremely proud that the work our associates and leadership team does each day to ensure patient safety has now been recognized nationally,” Shanon Hamilton, Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton administrator, said. “Patient safety has always been a priority at Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton, and this is an acknowledgement of the time that goes into our process improvement program and validates that what we are doing is working. We will continue to have a preoccupation with patient safety as the foundation of our health system as we build our healthcare services to meet the needs of this community.”

A safety review team at the hospital meets on a weekly basis to review anything that could pose a safety issue.

“We focus on any concern no matter how small and seek to resolve them and communicate the learnings to our associates,” Hamilton said. “We also have a group of leaders that meet quarterly across our Birmingham Ministry market to share information so that we can ensure we have the most up-to-date data on injury prevention and avoidance techniques.”

Those working at the hospital are also encouraged to mention safety concerns when they have them, so that any potential issues can be addressed before it impacts patients.

According to its website, The Leapfrog Group is a “nonprofit watchdog organization that serves as a voice for health care consumers and purchasers, using their collective influence to foster positive change in U.S. health care.”

Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses the lettering system A through F to grade hospitals in the United States against “30 national performance measures reflecting errors, injuries, accidents and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm,” according to an Ascension St. Vincent’s press release.

“An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a tremendous achievement, of which this community should be extremely proud,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “I thank the leadership and workforce of Ascension St. Vincent’s Chilton for its commitment to prioritizing patients and their safety, especially during these trying times.”

Hospitals are graded in the fall and spring of each year.