Methodist hospitals were the local standouts in a recent national grading of hospital safety. Of the 11 Memphis-area hospitals included in the fall 2022 Leapfrog hospital safety scores, four Methodist facilities received top marks.

The biannual report grades hospitals from A to F based on how well they protect patients from infection, injuries, accidents and preventable medical errors. The grades are released each year in spring and fall to try to help Americans decide where they want to seek their healthcare.

Nationally, the fall 2022 grades showed consistent improvement across patient safety measures in recent years, said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.

“We salute hospitals for this milestone and encourage them to accelerate their hard work saving patient lives. For a long time, the healthcare community tried to improve safety, but progress stalled,” Binder said. “It’s not enough change, but we are on the right track.”

Here’s what to know about the most recent grades for Mid-South hospitals.

Healthcare news:'God gave us the charge': Memphis couple emptied 401(k)s to fight COVID, and they're not done

More:Serenity Recovery Centers in Memphis gets federal grant, will expand work

Best and worst Memphis hospital scores

Four hospitals in the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare system earned A grades in the fall 2022 report: Methodist University, Methodist North, Methodist Germantown and Methodist Olive Branch. No other local hospital system earned an A in the fall rankings.

In a statement, Methodist said it was honored: "This accolade is only possible through the steadfast dedication of our staff members and providers. Almost three years into an unprecedented worldwide pandemic, they persist in their devotion of safety for all patients every single day."

Baptist Memorial Hospital Collierville had the lowest score among local hospitals, receiving a D. The hospital had been given a C for the past seven gradings. The hospital was graded below average in preventing multiple types of infections and several possible surgical complications, among other safety metrics.

In a statement, Baptist said its hospitals had been recognized for their patient care by U.S. News & World Report. For the past two years, Baptist Memphis had been named by the outlet as the best hospital in the metro area with Baptist DeSoto at third on that list. Both of them were listed as "high performing" for several specialties including cardiac care, a focus of the Baptist system.

"We appreciate the Leapfrog Group’s commitment to improving patient safety; however, we don’t believe our results in this survey reflect the quality of care we provide," the system said.

Improvement at Regional One

Regional One Health received a C grade in the fall 2022 report, an improvement from the three consecutive D grades it had been given in 2021 and spring 2022. The hospital had, in recent years, been at the bottom of the pack in Leapfrog scoring, though Regional One has previously said the rankings don’t show the full patient-care picture.

Chief Medical Officer Martin Croce said Thursday the Leapfrog scores are a snapshot in time and some of the data used can be several years old.

“Our team continuously works to find innovative solutions and make improvements so we can provide the safe, quality care our patients deserve. We are proud of our entire team, both our medical and non-medical staff, whose efforts have advanced our Leapfrog score from a ‘D’ to a ‘C,’” he said. “This demonstrates our continuous commitment to quality. We continue to focus on initiatives that will elevate our score and reflect the safe, exceptional care we provide our patients every day.”

How do Leapfrog safety scores work

Leapfrog, a nonprofit focused on safety and transparency in the American healthcare system, grades about 3,000 hospitals across the country each spring and fall. The data used for the grading comes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a Leapfrog survey and other sources.

Memphis news:Five Memphis healthcare workers charged with conspiracy, HIPAA violations

Local news:Mid-South woman stitches together a breast cancer community one quilt at a time

Only general hospitals are graded, which is why St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital are not included.

An expert panel, which includes doctors from Vanderbilt, Harvard, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other elite institutions helped develop the methodology for the rankings. The methodology has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal of patient safety.

Across the country, 30% of hospitals got an A, 28% a B, 36% a C, 6% a D and 1% got an F in the fall 2022 report.

Saint Francis did not respond to a request for comment.

Corinne S Kennedy covers healthcare and economic development for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email at Corinne.Kennedy@CommercialAppeal.com

Here’s how all Memphis-area hospitals scored:

• Regional One Health: C

• Methodist University Hospital: A

• Methodist South Hospital: B

• Methodist North Hospital: A

• Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis: C

• Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis: C

• Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto: C

• Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital: A

• Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett: B

• Baptist Memorial Hospital of Collierville: D

• Methodist Olive Branch Hospital: A

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Leapfrog hospital safety scores: How Memphis hospitals did