Earning an “A”

As 2023 came to a close, Saline Memorial Hospital received two national recognitions for delivering high-quality care. The hospital earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group and was named among the top hospitals in the country for joint replacement in Becker’s Orthopedic Review. 

Leapfrog, a national nonprofit watchdog that sets standards for excellence in patient care, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. Saline Memorial Hospital was the only hospital in Central Arkansas to receive an “A” grade for the fall 2023 period. 

“Our Leapfrog Hospital Safety A grade reflects the tireless dedication of our entire team in ensuring a safe, quality care experience for our patients,” said Michael Stewart, CEO of Saline Health System. “We are very pleased with this distinction, which celebrates our achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and errors.” 

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program exclusively based on hospital prevention of medical errors, infections, and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day nationally. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually in the fall and spring.

Saline Memorial Hospital was the only hospital in Central Arkansas and one of only six in the state to receive an A grade. The other A-graded hospitals include Mercy Hospital Fort Smith, Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in Rogers, NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jonesboro, South Arkansas Regional Hospital in El Dorado, and Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville.

“Earning an ‘A’ Grade means Saline Memorial Hospital made a true commitment to put patients first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the leadership, board, clinicians, staff, and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.” 

In addition to receiving top marks for patient safety, Saline Memorial was one of only three hospitals in Arkansas to be included when Becker’s Orthopedic Review published Healthgrades’ list of the nation’s top hospitals for joint replacement. 

Saline Memorial has four orthopedic surgeons who provide a wide range of services, including joint replacement surgery, sports medicine, and emergency care.

“We love being able to offer the latest healthcare technology and techniques, like our robotic surgical assistant, so that our friends and neighbors here in Saline County can get the same level or higher level of care that is available in larger cities throughout the U.S.,” Stewart said. 

Saline Memorial’s Chief Nursing Officer Char Boulch attributed receiving the awards to the dedication of every team member—from nursing and case management to housekeeping and nutrition services—toward delivering high-quality care. She also praised the quality department for keeping everyone focused on clinical best practices and initiatives. 

“Our motto for several years has been ‘friends and family taking care of friends and family,’ and we mean it wholeheartedly,” Boulch said. “Quality awards and recognition are great because they mean that we are providing our friends and family with the highest quality of care possible.”

In addition to these awards, Saline Memorial Hospital has earned and maintained several key accreditations. The hospital is accredited through The Joint Commission for meeting quality and safety standards, the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, the MBSAQUIP as a bariatric surgery center, Optum in the Bariatric Centers of Excellence network, CARF as a rehabilitation center and the AASM as a sleep center. 

The hospital also partners with the Arkansas Children’s Hospital as a member of the Nursery Alliance to ensure pediatric patients and their families can receive top quality care close to home.

“Our awards and accreditations demonstrate our commitment to following evidence-based practices to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients,” Stewart said. “They represent external validation from experts that this community can rely on us to provide safe, high-quality care.”