For the second consecutive year, Polk Medical Center has been named a Top Rural Hospital by The Leapfrog Group, an independent hospital watchdog organization. This award highlights the hospital for its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality. The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive honors American hospitals can receive, making Polk's back-to-back designations even more laudable.
“Polk Medical Center's designation as a Top Hospital by Leapfrog again acknowledges our organization's commitment to providing high quality health care for everyone in Polk County," said Matt Gorman, Vice President of Corporate and Network Services for Floyd Medical Center. “Our team of highly skilled professionals dedicate themselves to patient care and I'm extremely proud of their accomplishments."
Among thousands of hospitals in the country, Polk Medical Center received a Top Rural Hospital distinction, recognized nationally alongside:
- 10 Top Children's Hospitals
- 37 Top General Hospitals
- 17 Top Rural Hospitals
- 55 Top Teaching Hospitals
“Our goal is to provide the highest level of care for those who put their trust in us every day," said Tifani Kinard, Polk Medical Center Administrator and Chief Nursing Officer. “To be honored by Leapfrog for a second consecutive year is evidence that we have been successful in both reaching and maintaining that objective."
Performance across many areas of hospital care is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, maternity care, and the hospital's capacity to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year's Top Hospital Methodology.
“We are pleased to recognize Polk Medical Center as a 2019 Leapfrog Top Hospital," said Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This demonstrates extraordinary dedication to patients and to the Polk community. We congratulate everyone whose efforts made this honor possible and know they share pride in this achievement."
To qualify for the Top Hospitals distinction, hospitals must submit a Leapfrog Hospital Survey and achieve highest performance in its category. The selection of Top Hospitals 2018 is based on surveys from nearly 1,900 hospitals. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2018 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.