About one-third of Georgia hospitals received an “A’’ grade in the Leapfrog Group’s autumn patient safety ratings, released Monday.

 

That’s a higher percentage than in the spring, when one in four hospitals in the state got a top grade.

Tennessee-based HCA — Redmond Regional Medical Center in Rome and Cartersville Medical Center both received “A”s among others.

For the first time since the ratings began in 2012, AdventHealth Gordon in Northwest Georgia did not get an “A,’’ but it did receive a “B.’’ Floyd Medical Center in Rome also got a “B”

Much of the data in the ratings came from 2019 and earlier, before the COVID-19 virus hit the United States.

The ratings exist to provide patient safety information to consumers, so they can make informed decisions about where to seek care.

The safety grades come out twice a year, using measured data in up to 27 different categories. The information is gathered mostly from a hospital survey and from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Georgia’s 24 “A” hospitals are a mix of urban, suburban and smaller rural facilities. A few types of hospitals are not rated, such as children’s hospitals and small “critical access” facilities such as Polk Medical Center.

Georgia’s percentage of “A’’ hospitals matched the national average.

Founded in 2000 by large employers, the Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit focused on improving the quality and safety of American health car