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Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Nationally Recognized With an ‘A’ For the Fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade Kristina Sparacino, Director of Marketing 352.427.2108 kristina.sparacino@lwrmc.com www.HospitalSafetyGrade.org Lakewood Ranch, FL, November 7, 2019 – Lakewood Ranch Medical Center was awarded an ‘A’ in fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Lakewood Ranch Medical Center’s achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization driven by employers and other purchasers of health care 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 all general hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care. “The team at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center works hard every day to provide the best possible care to every patient,” says Andy Guz, Chief Executive Officer, Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. “I am proud of the continuous efforts of hospital employees and physicians that result in excellent patient outcomes, especially as it relates to patient safety.” “‘A’ hospitals show us their leadership is protecting patients from preventable medical harm and error,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It takes genuine commitment at every level – from clinicians to administrators to the board of directors – and we congratulate the teams who have worked so hard to earn this A.” 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. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public. Lakewood Ranch Medical Center was awarded an ‘A’ grade today, when Leapfrog announced grades for the fall 2019 update. To see Lakewood Ranch Medical Center’s full grade details, learn how employers can help, and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook. ### 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. About Lakewood Ranch Medical Center (lwrmc.com) Lakewood Ranch Medical Center is the hospital of choice for many families in the Manatee/Sarasota region. Since it opened in 2004, the hospital has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission. The Gold Seal of Approval is recognized across the nation as a symbol of quality that shows the hospital's commitment to meeting certain performance standards. Patients at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center have access to a medical staff of more than 550 physicians and allied health professionals who practice in a comprehensive range of specialties and use the hospital's advanced medical technology. Among the members of the medical staff are surgeons whose specialties include cardiovascular, gynecological, spine and joint and plastic and reconstructive procedures.