Howard County General Hospital received an A grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care ratings organization which today released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D and F to hospitals nationwide based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms.

Howard County General Hospital was one of 832 facilities in the U.S. and the only hospital in Maryland to be awarded an A for its commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards.

“This rating is an affirmation of the work we are doing to deliver quality outcomes, patient safety and the best overall experience,” said Steven C. Snelgrove, president of Howard County General Hospital. “We are building a culture where every member of our team is a partner in patient care. While I know that every Maryland hospital is working hard toward the same goals, I am proud of this recognition, which shows that all our physicians and staff truly care about the community we serve.”

Developed under the guidance of a Blue Ribbon National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

To see Howard County General Hospital’s full grade 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.

Howard County General Hospital: A Member of Johns Hopkins Medicine is a not-for-profit health care provider with 267 licensed beds located in Columbia, Maryland. A comprehensive, acute-care medical center, Howard County General offers a full range of services, from neonatal care and oncology to outpatient treatment and critical care.

The hospital has a professional staff of more than 900 physicians and allied health professionals, representing more than 90 specialties and subspecialties; a workforce of more than 1,800 individuals and over 300 volunteers.