Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast earned an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group for spring 2024. The Leapfrog Group is an organization that focuses on the reduction of wasteful spending and preventable medical errors in medicine.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, which rates general acute care hospitals across the nation, is an independent assessment based on a comprehensive analysis of hospitals’ performance in preventing medical errors, infections, and injuries. Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast‘s achievement of an ‘A’ grade reflects its ongoing efforts to maintain the highest standards of care for its patients.

Robin Neumeier, DNP, MSN, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, expressed pride in the hospital’s accomplishment, stating, “We are proud to see that the systems, processes, and training we have put into place for our care teams are making a difference for the patients we serve.” Neumeier added that earning a Leapfrog ‘A’ grade affirms the hospital’s commitment to achieving excellence in patient safety.

Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, commended Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast for its dedication to patient safety, noting, “It takes complete dedication at every level and an ironclad commitment to putting patients first.”

Patients and community members can access Sacred Heart Emerald Coast’s full-grade details and find tips for staying safe by visiting HospitalSafetyGrade.org. 

Local Hospital’s Safety Grades

A total of four hospitals are in our area. Here’s how they scored. The letter next to the hospital’s name is the hospital’s overall grade. ge hospital’s score is a .793 and the worst hospital in the country scored a 2.908. 

Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast | A

Sacred Heart earned an A grade after three half-year periods of B grades from Leapfrog. Sacred Heart on the Emerald Coast earned As the three half-years prior. 

This hospital performed better than average in 

• Preventing infections
• Problems with surgery
• Reducing safety problems
• Doctors, nurses and hospital staff

This hospital performed worse than average in

• Practices to prevent errors

North Okaloosa Medical Center | C

North Okaloosa Medical Center has consistently received the worst grades in the Leapfrog rankings over the last three years. In 2021 and 2023, the hospital received C grades for both halves of each year. In 2022, the hospital received B grades. 

This hospital performed better than average in 

• Problems with surgery
• Doctors, nurses and hospital staff

This hospital performed worse than average in

• Safety problems
• Practices to prevent errors

HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital | A

HCA Fort Walton Destin had it’s fourth A rating in the last two years. In the spring of 2021, the hospital had a C rating, which it brought to a B rating in the fall of the same year. 

This hospital performed better than average in 

• Number of safety problems
• Number of problems with surgery
• Practices to Prevent Errors

This hospital performed worse than average in

• Safety Problems
• Infections

96th Medical Group | A

The 96th Medical Group hospital on Eglin Air Force Base had not been graded before this cycle.

This hospital performed better than average in 

• number of safety problems
• Doctors, nurses and hospital staff

This hospital performed worse than average in

• Problems with surgery 
• Practices to prevent errors

HCA Twin Cities | B

HCA Twin Cities had an A grade through all of 2021, but dropped to a B and then a C in 2022. Twin Cities regained its B status in 2023 and maintained it through the year’s second half. 

This hospital performed better than average in 

• Number of problems with surgery

This hospital performed worse than average in

• Number of safety problems
• Practices to prevent errors

How Grades Are Assessed 

According to the Leapfrog website, the three most important categories in the algorithm that spits out a final grade are handwashing policies, the number of infections in the blood reported, and the number of patient falls recorded in the hospital.