Polk Medical Center in Cedartown has been selected as one of 45 2009 Leapfrog Top Hospitals.

Thirty-four urban, eight children’s and three rural hospitals have been named 2009 Leapfrog Top Hospitals, based on results from The Leapfrog Hospital Survey. The survey (found at www.leapfroggroup.org) is the only national, public comparison of hospitals on key issues including mortality rates for certain common procedures, infection rates, safety practices, and measures of efficiency.

“This year’s class of Top Hospitals not only hits the mark in areas such as medication error prevention and preventing ICU deaths, but they also use their resources wisely, providing excellent and efficient outcomes for patients,” said Leah Binder, CEO, The Leapfrog Group. “Regardless of what happens to healthcare reform, these hospitals are the future.”

The award winners for the program's new Rural category scored in the top decile nationally for efficiency and are located in Ga. and Maine. Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway, Maine and Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast, Maine were also recognized.

“Rural hospitals should be especially recognized as they often have higher hurdles to clear than their larger, urban counterparts in terms of access to capital and other resources,” said Binder, a former administrator of a rural hospital.

“Polk Medical is extremely proud to receive this recognition,” says Kim Scoggins, Administrator for Polk Medical Center. “We serve a great community with an extremely dedicated staff. We have made strides in technology, services lines and quality and this award recognizes the results of those efforts.”

The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 by the Business Roundtable and is supported by its members, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Commonwealth Fund, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and other sources.

The Leapfrog Hospital Survey is the gold standard for comparing hospitals’ performance on the national standards of safety, quality, and efficiency that are most relevant to consumers and purchasers of care.

Polk Medical Center is a 25 bed critical access facility that began with a Board of Trustees in 1944. Fully accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC), Polk Medical Center has a medical staff of 10 primary care physicians, a number of specialists and consultants, and a staff of approximately 115 employees.

In addition to excellent emergency medical care, Polk Medical Center provides a full range of services including mammography, lab work and x-rays, CT scans, rehab, the senior enrichment center, and other inpatient and outpatient services. As an HCA facility, Polk Medical Center is also in partnership with Redmond Regional Medical Center in Rome. For more information, visit www.polkmedicalcenter.com