The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization committed to driving quality, safety, and transparency in the U.S. health care system, today released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which assign A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide. TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center was one of 823 hospitals to receive an "A" for its commitment to reducing errors, infections, and accidents that can harm patients.

"We are extremely proud to be recognized as one of the 19 hospitals in Tennessee to earn an "A" from the recent report from Leapfrog," said Lou Caputo, chief executive officer of TriStar StoneCrest. "It is a validation that our staff continually strives to support our mission of providing high quality patient care while always focusing on patient's safety.

TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center in Smyrna, TN was one of four TriStar Health hospitals earning an A grade, along with TriStar Centennial, TriStar Hendersonville and TriStar Horizon medical centers.

"Hospitals that earn top marks nationally in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, 'have achieved the highest safety standards in the country," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "That takes commitment from every member of the hospital staff, who all deserve thanks and congratulations when their hospitals achieve an 'A' Safety Grade."

Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

To see TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center's full grade, and to access consumer-friendly patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.