As hospitals nationwide respond to COVID-19 surge, St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea receives “A” grade for patient safety

CHELSEA, MI, (Dec. 21, 2020) – Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which assigns A, B, C, D and F letter grades to hospitals nationally for patient safety, announced that St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea has received an “A” ranking on its Fall 2020 scorecard.  Amid its response to COVID-19, St. Joe’s was awarded an “A” for its commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States.

Safety is a core value and a top priority for St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea.  When patients arrive for care to the hospital or in its Emergency Department, COVID-19 safety protocols are in place to protect them and caregivers.  The hospital has designated COVID-Free Zones, is in possession of all personal protective equipment needed, and offers both screening and testing for COVID-19 at the facility.  During the COVID-19 response, St. Joe’s is following public health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the State of Michigan.

“I am extremely proud because I know how hard each and every member of our team works to provide safe, high quality care to patients,” said Nancy Graebner, president of St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea. “In these unique times, we have been forced to learn and adapt quickly.  Together, we have risen to the challenge and safeguarded the health and wellbeing of our community.”

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.

To see St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea’s full grade details, learn how employers can help, and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, please visit