COVINGTON – St. Tammany Health System’s flagship St. Tammany Parish Hospital has been designated a Recognized Leader in Caring for People Living with Diabetes by the independent Leapfrog Group and the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
It is the only Louisiana hospital, and one of just 36 across the country, to earn the honor, which acknowledges St. Tammany’s demonstrated commitment to the safety and well-being of hospitalized people living with diabetes.
Launched in 2024, the Recognized Leader in Caring for People Living with Diabetes program evaluates hospitals based on their care for patients with diabetes during admission, hospital stay and discharge. The program uses the ADA’s Standards of Care in Diabetes alongside Leapfrog’s standards for excellence in hospital safety and quality.
“Hospitals caring for people living with diabetes face unique challenges, and institutions like St. Tammany Health System are leading the way in prioritizing safety and accountability for this vulnerable population,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Patients living with diabetes deserve high-quality, safe care. We sincerely congratulate the team at St. Tammany for their excellence in providing that care.”
The 36 hospitals recognized by the program are deemed to provide safe, high-quality care for people living with diabetes by implementing blood sugar testing and hypoglycemia protocols, specialized preparation for inpatient surgery, meals and insulin regimen planning, and robust discharge planning for high-risk patients with diabetes, among others.
"We congratulate STHS for demonstrating their commitment to patient safety and improving the lives of people living with diabetes. Moving evidence-based standards of care into practice opens doors to improved quality outcomes for people living with diabetes,” said Osagie Ebekozien, MD, MPH, the ADA’s chief quality officer.
To learn more about the Recognized Leader in Caring for People Living with Diabetes, visit https://www.leapfroggroup.org/recognized-leader-diabetes/about-the-program.
#####
About St. Tammany Health System
The heartbeat of its community, St. Tammany Health System cares for patients and families with excellence, compassion and teamwork. It is nationally recognized for quality, safety and service excellence by CareChex, Leapfrog, Healthgrades, Hospital Compare, Women’s Choice and US News & World Report. The health system is home to 281-bed St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 1, three diagnostic centers and more than 20 medical clinics throughout western St. Tammany Parish. Self-supporting, not-for-profit STHS is AA- rated by Fitch and receives no tax funding. Learn more at StTammany.health.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is an independent national nonprofit organization celebrating 25 years of driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. Among its initiatives, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade was launched in 2012 and assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. It is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. It is fully transparent and free to the public, and grades are updated biannually in the fall and in the spring. To look up your hospital’s Safety Grade, please visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org. For more from Leapfrog, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram and sign up for our newsletter.
About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to end diabetes and helping people thrive. This year, the ADA celebrates 85 years of driving discovery and research to prevent, manage, treat, and ultimately cure —and we’re not stopping. There are 136 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Through advocacy, program development, and education, we’re fighting for them all. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383).