Lakeside Medical Center, a 70-bed, rural acute care teaching hospital accredited by The Joint Commission and operated by the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, is proud to be one of just five Palm Beach County hospitals to receive an ‘A’ Safety Grade from the The Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2018 Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes Lakeside Medical Center’s efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States.
“Our physicians, nurses, technicians and staff at Lakeside Medical Center strive to provide the safest and highest quality care possible to our patients. This ‘A’ Safety Grade is a reflection of their dedication to the health of the Glades communities,” said Darcy J. Davis, CEO of the Health Care District.
The Leapfrog Group is a national organization committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care. 
“Our Lakeside Medical Center team is second to none in its determination to provide first-class care to our patients,” said Brian R. Lohmann, Chair of the Health Care District Board. “This ‘A’ Safety Grade is a reflection of our deep and ongoing commitment to residents and visitors in the Glades communities.”
“Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grades recognize hospitals like Lakeside Medical Center that focus on advancing patient safety. This ranking provides an important resource for patients, and a benchmark for hospitals, to determine how care at one hospital compares to others in a region,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Hospitals that earn an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade deserve to be recognized for their efforts in preventing medical harm and errors.”
Developed under the guidance of a National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.
“It is quite an achievement that Lakeside Medical Center was one of 855 hospitals across the country and one of five of the 14 graded Palm Beach County hospitals awarded an ‘A’,” said Rev. Robert Rease, Chair of the Lakeside Health Advisory Board, which guides the hospital. “This national recognition underscores the safe, compassionate care our hospital staff provide each and every day.”
To see Lakeside Medical Center’s full grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.
About the Health Care District:
The Health Care District of Palm Beach County, a safety net health care system marking its 30th anniversary, provides primary medical care and dental services for adults and children at the C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics, health coverage programs for eligible uninsured residents, a pharmacy operation, a nationally-recognized Trauma System, registered nurses in nearly 170 public schools, short and long-term skilled nursing at the Edward J. Healey Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Riviera Beach, and acute care at its teaching hospital, Lakeside Medical Center, which is accredited by The Joint Commission and serves the rural Glades’ communities.
