HAGERSTOWN – Meritus Medical Center has achieved a monumental milestone, earning its fifth consecutive ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog dedicated to patient safety. The accolade places Meritus in the top 12 percent of hospitals nationwide for consistent excellence in preventing medical errors, infections and injuries.
The achievement caps a dramatic turnaround for the 327-bed facility, which faced a low point in 2018 when it received a ‘D’ grade, leading to the abrupt retirement of its then-CEO, Joseph P. Ross.
“Achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade reflects enormous dedication to patient safety,” said Leah Binder, president The Leapfrog Group. “I extend my congratulations to Meritus Medical Center, its leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for creating a culture where patients come first.”
Leapfrog evaluates hospitals based on over 30 evidence-based measures, including infection prevention, surgical complications and staff responsiveness. Only about 27 percent of Maryland hospitals earned an ‘A’ in this cycle, making Meritus’ fifth “Straight A” status in a row since Spring 2023 a testament to its transformation.
“We are thrilled to have earned this grade from Leapfrog, which reflects our team members’ dedication to safeguarding patients and our commitment to enhancing the health of our community,” Chief Operating Officer Carrie Adams, PharmD, told LocalNews1.org. “As with anything related to performance and setting the tone for our culture, it all starts with leadership.”
It was a long journey back from those 2018 ratings when Meritus, by far the largest community hospital in Washington County, was rated below-average in 16 of 28 patient-safety measures, which started with the arrival of Dr. Maulik Joshi, a public health and healthcare quality expert, in November 2019. Joshi’s tenure began with a comprehensive overhaul of the hospital’s safety culture.
“When Dr. Joshi came in, his commitment to the community and service set the tone for the entire organization,” Adams said. “Everyone from environmental services to physicians to leadership aligned behind the mission to deliver the best care. We got serious about safety and rebuilding our reputation because our community deserves the best.”
Adams, who was on staff as transition officer during the transition, said a new daily focus on safety and a new emphasis on collaboration among all levels of staff, set the ball in motion.
“Our leaders are visible. We round with employees to see firsthand the challenges they face, and they feel safe speaking up when something’s not right,” she said. This visibility has fostered a culture where frontline workers, including support staff, each understand the critical role they play as part of a unified team.
An environmental services team, for instance, is committed to ensuring operating rooms are spotless before surgeries, aware their work prevents harm, like surgical site infections.
Once installed, Dr. Joshi didn’t order a wholesale purge of staff, but rather sought to inspire them to perform at a higher level by focusing on purpose. “When staff understand that their job is to prioritize patient safety and experience, they’re intrinsically motivated. Consistently high ratings from organizations like Leapfrog validated their efforts and inspired them to do even better.”
Meritus’ culture shift is evident in its daily operations. The hospital implemented daily safety calls, where staff across departments discuss potential risks and near-miss events, which are taken as seriously as actual harmful events, allowing staff to address potential breakdowns of processes before they happen.
Developed with experts like the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality, the Leapfrog Group’s rigorous methodology, relies on data from hospital surveys, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other public sources.
Meritus’ consistent “A” grades reflect improvements in key areas like hand hygiene, catheter insertion protocols, and more, enhancing the “complicated beast” of patient experience, where one negative interaction can color perceptions of the hospital, Adams said.
Meritus’ commitment to re-establishing its bona fides extends beyond safety to community impact. In July 2025, the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine will welcome an inaugural class of 90 students, supported by over $1.6 million in scholarships funded by Meritus Health, its leaders, physicians, volunteers, and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.
“This group of bright young people will train to become community-oriented physicians,” publicly stated Dr. Joshi, who (along with Adams) was recently named to The Daily Record’s 2025 Health Care Power List. The scholarships, including a full-tuition award from the Meritus Medical Center Auxiliary, aim to address the physician shortage in Maryland and beyond.
Looking ahead, Meritus aims to solidify its reputation as a regional leader. “We’re the sole community hospital in our county, caring for our friends, families, and neighbors,” Adams said. “Our staff are the owners of implementing safety measures, and they’re driven every day to do their best work. We’re not perfect, but we’re always striving to be better.”
With 75,000 annual emergency room visits, Meritus plays a critical role in maintaining the health of residents from Washington County and beyond. In a published review, Oscar S. from Germantown wrote that the staff, from the doctors, nurses, dieticians, and support personnel were “incredibly great.”
“They definitely took care of me and treated me with respect, kindness, and professionalism,” Oscar wrote after a stay in April. “Hospitals are never fun, and no one likes to be there, so how you’re treated during a vulnerable and unpleasant time makes a huge difference.”
