AO Fox Hospital Nationally Recognized with an A Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade - 25 May 2022

Bassett Healthcare Network’s A.O. Fox Hospital received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2022. This national distinction recognizes Fox’s achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital.

“We are incredibly proud of our caregivers and practitioners at A.O. Fox Hospital for continually achieving this prestigious recognition, the only hospital in our region to do so,” says Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, President & CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network. “Fox has greatly improved its patient safety practices and is doing stellar work – and our network hospitals are collaborating closely to replicate this work daily, sharing ideas, best practices, and supporting one another. Our colleagues at Fox are reaffirming for all of Bassett Healthcare Network how we reach our shared goal of becoming a national leader in creating healthy rural communities.” 

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over thirty national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“These assessments from Leapfrog are rigorous,” explains Dr. Henry Weil, chief academic and clinical officer at Bassett Healthcare Network. “Achieving the highest grade of an ‘A’ is a highly significant feat. Learning how we measure up against hospitals around the state and country is very beneficial to our organization as we continually work to improve safety metrics.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

“This recognition represents tremendous work,” says Dr. Reginald Q. Knight, chief hospital executive at A.O. Fox Hospital. “Fox has maintained an ‘A’ hospital safety grade for more than two years amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic – and is performing above the national average with patient safety ratings. I am immensely proud of the dedication our team demonstrates every day. Ultimately, their exceptional performance reflects a deep commitment to our patients and communities.”

"As our national health care system continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of A.O. Fox Hospital for sustained commitment to patient safety, day in and day out,” says Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ safety grade is an outstanding achievement, and one that is not possible without a 24/7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm. This community should be proud.”

To see A.O. Fox Hospital’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook, and via its newsletter.

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About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. For more, follow them on Twitter and Facebook and sign up for their newsletter.

About A.O. Fox Hospital

A.O. Fox Hospital, part of Bassett Healthcare Network, is a 60-bed acute care hospital with a 130-bed nursing home that provides the residents of Oneonta and its surrounding four-county area with high-quality emergency services, inpatient care, and comprehensive outpatient and specialty services. 25 miles southwest, in Sidney, stands A.O. Fox’s Tri-Town Campus, a satellite facility that provides comprehensive emergency, laboratory, and medical imaging services to the tri-county region.

About Bassett Healthcare Network

Bassett Healthcare Network is an integrated health system that provides care and services to people living in a 5,600 square mile region in upstate New York. The organization includes five corporately affiliated hospitals, over two dozen community-based health centers, more than 20 school-based health centers, two skilled nursing facilities, and other health partners in related fields. Bassett Medical Center, the foundation of the network, is a 180-bed acute care inpatient teaching hospital located in Cooperstown, NY affiliated with Columbia University. To learn more about services available throughout Bassett Healthcare Network, visit www.bassett.org. Follow Bassett on Facebook and Twitter.