Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center has earned a fifth consecutive Leapfrog Grade A, placing it among a select group of hospitals nationwide and one of only three military treatment facilities to achieve that distinction. For patients, hospital leaders say that recognition is less about the letter grade and more about what it represents every day inside the facility.
“It means peace of mind,” said Sonya Woodson, deputy commander for quality and safety. “It signifies that our hospital actively protects patients from preventable errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. When our beneficiaries and family members walk through our doors, they are receiving care in a facility that has been independently verified to meet the highest national standards for protecting patients.”
That level of safety is built into daily routines patients rarely see, starting the moment a medication is ordered and continuing through every step of the process.
“Once a provider enters an order, a pharmacist conducts a clinical review to check for allergies, drug interactions, contraindications, and appropriate dosing,” said Col. Christopher Ellison, deputy commander for patient services. “After verification, the medication is prepared and sent to automated dispensing cabinets on the floor or delivered directly, and the nurse administers the medication using our bedside scanning technology,”
Ellison said the system is designed with multiple safeguards at every stage to reduce risk and prevent errors before they reach the patient.
“It isn’t reliant on just one person or one system; it is a highly integrated workflow involving providers, pharmacists, nurses, and advanced technology all cross-checking one another,” he said. “Patients may no realize that a pharmacist clinically reviews every single medication order before it ever reaches them. This continuous clinical review acts as an invisible shield, ensuring that every medication is safe, effective, and tailored to the patient’s current condition.”
Across the hospital, teams are constantly monitoring systems and data to catch potential risks early and act quickly. When something signals a concern, it moves quickly into review through patient safety, risk management, and performance improvement teams.
That approach reflects a broader culture focused on prevention, not reaction.
“It speaks volumes and reflects a deeply ingrained, high-reliability culture where every staff member owns patient safety,” Woodson said. “We have successfully transitioned from a culture of compliance to a proactive, continuous learning environment where safety is everyone’s primary mission.”
Creating that environment also means ensuring staff feel comfortable speaking up.
“Creating a safe, open environment begins with listening,” said Aleka Ramoutar, performance and quality improvement program manager. “We provide multiple secure channels for anyone to voice safety concerns. Every report is taken seriously and carefully reviewed, ensuring we resolve issues promptly and use those lessons to elevate our standard of care.”
When something does not go as planned, leaders say the focus is on fixing the process. The result is care designed to reduce risk at every step.
“It directly translates to fewer hospital-acquired infections, lower readmission rates, and clearer communication between providers and patients,” Woodson said. “Families can trust that our protocols and standards are designed to minimize risk, allowing them to focus entirely on what matters most in the healing and recovery of their loved ones.”
While a single Leapfrog A is an achievement, maintaining that rating over time requires consistency and discipline.
“It validates our unwavering commitment to patient safety as a core operational imperative, not just a metric to be tracked,” Woodson said. “Earning five consecutive ‘A’s demonstrates sustained excellence, operational discipline, and the reliability of our care delivery systems over time.”
For Ramoutar, that consistency comes down to daily effort across the organization.
“Protecting our patients is our top priority,” she said. “That’s why we are always looking for ways to elevate our everyday processes, creating a better, safer experience for both our patients and the team that cares for them.”
Hospital leaders say the recognition ultimately reflects the work happening across every department, every day.
“It takes relentless, daily dedication from absolutely everyone in the building,” Woodson said. “It is not achieved by a single department, but by thousands of small, correct decisions made every single day by our dedicated team.”
For Col. Mark Jacques, the hospital’s commander, the recognition isn’t the goal. He said the designation reflects the care patients deserve every day and the trust beneficiaries place in the team to deliver it.