Iredell Memorial Hospital Named Top Hospital by Leapfrog

Iredell Memorial Hospital has been named one of the nation’s Top General Hospitals by The Leapfrog Group. Announced today, it is among only 9 in the state of North Carolina, and 134 in the entire country, to earn this prestigious designation, highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality.

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 known as the toughest standard-setters for health care, safety and quality. Top Hospitals will be honored tonight at the 2024 Leapfrog Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C.

“We are so excited and proud to be named a top hospital by Leapfrog,” said John Green, Iredell Health System President & CEO. “As we continue our ongoing journey toward improving quality and the care provided at our health system, this is a testament to our team’s successful focus and commitment. We will continue to strive for quality-based excellence to care for our community, in our community!”

Nearly 2,400 hospitals were considered for the award. Among those, Iredell Memorial Hospital received a general distinction. A total of 134 Top Hospitals were selected, including:

• 8 Top Children’s
• 36 Top General
• 15 Top Rural
• 75 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, practices for safer surgery, maternity care and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.

"Protecting patients from preventable harm is central to The Leapfrog Group’s mission," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Iredell Memorial Hospital has set the standard for patient safety, earning the prestigious distinction of a Top Hospital. This elite honor reflects the exceptional efforts of the entire team and places Iredell Memorial Hospital among the nation's elite in health care. Congratulations to all who made this remarkable achievement possible."

To qualify for the 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 and achieve top performance in their category. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2024 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.