MEDIA RELEASE:
For the third consecutive year, Polk Medical Center has been named a Top Rural Hospital nationally by The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization widely acknowledged as the toughest standard-setters for health care safety and quality.
Announced today, the Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive.
“Earning this award three years in a row shows our dedication to providing outstanding patient care,” said Matt Gorman, Vice President of Corporate and Network Services for Floyd. “I can’t say enough about our skilled team and how hard they work to serve our community.”
Over 2,200 hospitals were considered for the award. Among those Polk Medical Center received a Top Rural distinction. A total of 105 hospitals were selected as Top Hospitals, including:
- 9 Top Children’s Hospitals
- 29 Top General Hospitals
- 19 Top Rural Hospitals
- 48 Top Teaching Hospitals
“Our community trusts us to provide the highest level of care,” said Tifani Kinard, Polk Medical Center Administrator and Chief Nursing Officer. “It is rewarding to be able to point to the Leapfrog rankings and say that we are doing just that.”
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.
“Being recognized as a Top Hospital is an extraordinary feat and we are honored to recognize Polk Medical Center this year,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Despite the extraordinary pressure and strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, Polk Medical Center has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to patients and to the Polk County community. We congratulate the board, staff and clinicians whose efforts made this honor possible.”
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 and achieve top performance in its category.
The 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.
Polk Medical Center is a 25-bed, critical access hospital located in Cedartown. It serves portions of northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama.
The hospital is a Level IV trauma center and provides 24/7 emergency services, family medicine, subacute rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation and cardiac imaging. Convenient laboratory and radiology services and infusion therapy are also available. Accredited by The Joint Commission, Polk Medical Center offers health care services, supported by Floyd Medical Center and other providers under the Floyd Healthcare Management Inc. family.