Outer Banks Health has been recognized as a top performer in the 2025 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Ranking by Vizient, Inc. The health system placed tenth among 1,400 Vizient provider clients in the critical access cohort. This recognition is based on the annual Vizient Quality and Accountability Study, which evaluates hospitals on their delivery of high-quality care.
Ronnie Sloan, president of Outer Banks Health (OBH), expressed pride in the team’s work. “We are tremendously proud of our entire team for their exceptional commitment to safe, effective and compassionate patient care for our community. OBH is honored to be recognized for these efforts,” Sloan said. He also gave special acknowledgment to Devereux Grindle, vice president of clinical operations and former director of clinical quality management, for establishing a strong quality department. Stefanie McMahon, director of clinical quality management, was also commended for her leadership.
The 2025 study included 1,220 participating hospitals divided into seven cohorts. It measured performance across six domains: safety, mortality, effectiveness, efficiency, patient centeredness and variation in care. Data sources included the Vizient Clinical Data Base as well as survey results from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems and information from the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network.
The purpose of the Vizient Quality and Accountability Study is to help hospitals understand how they perform compared to peers and identify best practices that lead to high-quality outcomes across different areas of patient care. The period covered by this recognition spans July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
David Levine, chief medical officer at Vizient stated: “We extend our sincere congratulations to this year’s top-performing hospitals recognized in the Vizient Quality and Accountability Study. These organizations have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to delivering safe, effective, and patient-centered care. Their performance reflects the highest standards in clinical quality and operational excellence, and we are proud to honor their achievements.”
Outer Banks Health serves a coastal community whose population grows significantly during summer months. The health system partners with ECU Health and Chesapeake Regional Healthcare as well as other organizations throughout North Carolina and Virginia to provide comprehensive care locally when possible.
