Great Plains Health named ‘Top Rural Hospital’ by the Leapfrog Group
Contact: Mary Roberts
North Platte, Neb., December 7, 2021 – Highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality, Great Plains Health was named a Top Rural Hospital nationally by The Leapfrog Group. Great Plains Health has earned the distinction for three consecutive years. Announced today, the Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive. The Top Hospital designation is bestowed by The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers recognized as the toughest standard-setters for health care safety and quality.
“We are honored to receive this recognition again. Even in the midst of a pandemic, our staff remain focused on providing top care,” Barb Petersen, chief quality officer, said. “This award demonstrates that we are committed to technology, innovation and meeting the ever-evolving healthcare needs of our community.”
“We are appreciative of the staff who make this achievement possible,” Mel McNea, chief executive officer, added. “We would be remise without acknowledging that Great Plains Health has nearly 1,200 employees, all of whom consistently pursue excellence and prioritize health care safety and quality.”
Over 2,200 hospitals were considered for the award. Among those, Great Plains Health received a Top Rural distinction. A total of 149 top hospitals nationwide were selected as Top Hospitals, including:
- 8 Top Children’s
- 46 Top General
- 23 Top Rural
- 72 Top Teaching
The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, surgery, maternity care, and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication and other errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.
“We are pleased to recognize Great Plains Health as a Top Hospital this year,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Even with the continued strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, Great Plains Health has demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to excellent health care in Great Nebraska and beyond. We congratulate the board, leadership, staff and clinicians who put their patients first.”
To qualify for the Top Hospitals distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2021 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.
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About Great Plains Health
Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Great Plains Health is a fully accredited, 116-bed acute-care regional medical center serving western and central Nebraska, northern Kansas and southern South Dakota. With 90 physicians representing nearly 30 medical specialties, the Great Plains Health system offers advanced health care, including heart and vascular, cancer, and orthopedic surgery services. Great Plains Health is a Level III trauma center, and all of its emergency department physicians are residency-trained and board-certified in emergency medicine. The system employs approximately 1,200 employees and serves a geographic area spanning approximately 16,000 square miles.
The hospital is accredited by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and is home to an American College of Surgeons-accredited cancer center and Level II bariatric surgery program. For more information, visit gphealth.org.
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 in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital 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.