Sierra Vista hospital receives 'A' rating for patient safety

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Canyon Vista Medical Center (CVMC) in Sierra Vista is the only southern Arizona hospital to get an 'A' rating from Leapfrog, an organization that rates hospitals on patient safety.

“It means that you can be assured when you are coming here to Canyon Vista Medical Center that you are receiving the top quality care that you can be receiving,” said Director of Patient Safety, Aimee Blum.

Officials at CVMC say the journey to this Leapfrog score started in 2022 when they were able to re-institute and re re-implement new safety procedures that had gone away because of COVID.

“We had to re-teach a new generation of healthcare providers, some of which were not nurses or respiratory therapists or pharmacists, you know, when COVID started,” said CVMC CEO, Shaun Phillips.

Retraining them on systems and procedures that prioritize patients and help put their families' minds at ease.

"We want to be able to deliver high-quality care close to home for everybody here in Cochise County,” Phillips said.

He and Blum say improved communication between medical staff, patients and their families is leading to better care that's preventing illnesses and infections; ensuring the best care and speedy recoveries for patients.

"This is a hospital-wide award," Phillips said. "You can be rest assured, when you're at Canyon Vista Medical Center, you are receiving top-of-the-line care—top-of-the-line, safe care close to home.”

Leapfrog ratings are based on public data and by information provided by the hospital. More information can be found on their website. They rate hospitals twice a year.

"We want to make sure that what we do here is of the highest quality,” Phillips said.

CVMC is the only area hospital that qualifies for the rating because of how many beds they have. The other hospitals in the county are categorized as 'critical access' hospitals.

Phillips and Blum say keeping the 'A' rating is what’s best for the community.

“As new staff come on, as new providers, come on, they're joining a culture of best practice, not just we learn this and we're going to let it slip away,” Blum said.

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