BELFAST — Waldo County General Hospital (WCGH) is one of 18 hospitals nationally and the only one in Maine to be named a Top Rural Hospital by The Leapfrog Group, an independent watchdog organization.

“This award is a testament to our entire staff and their dedication to providing high-quality, patient-centered care on a daily basis,” said WCGH Chief Medical Officer Kent Clark, MD, in a news release. “Regardless of their role, each member of our team takes tremendous pride in providing outstanding service to our patients, their families, and our community. I’m proud of our entire staff and their continued commitment to our organization and mission.”

It is the second consecutive year that WCGH has been named a top rural hospital. The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive honors American hospitals can receive, according to WCGH.

Performance across many areas of hospital care is considered, including infection rates, maternity care and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.

“We are pleased to recognize Waldo County General Hospital as a 2019 Leapfrog Top Hospital,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This demonstrates extraordinary dedication to patients and to the Waldo County community. We congratulate the board, staff and clinicians whose efforts made this honor possible and know they share pride in this achievement.”

To qualify for the Top Hospitals distinction, hospitals must submit a Leapfrog Hospital Survey and achieve highest performance in its category. The selection of Top Hospitals 2019 is based on surveys from nearly 1,900 hospitals. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2019 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.

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 Waldo County General Hospital
Waldo County General Hospital is part of MaineHealth, a nonprofit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, visit pbmc.org.