The Leapfrog Group has granted University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) its 25th consecutive “A” Hospital Safety Grade, making it one of only 15 hospitals nationwide and the only one in Chicago with the “straight A” distinction.
The number of hospitals with consecutive “A” records has dropped during almost every semiannual review since The Leapfrog Group, an industry safety watchdog that sets national standards for excellence in patient care, began its grading system in June 2012. In 2017, 63 hospitals across the country received “straight A” grades. During last year’s fall grading cycle, that number fell to 18.
“We are very proud of this achievement and will not rest on our laurels,” said Tom Jackiewicz, President of the University of Chicago Health System. “We will continue to push the boundaries of excellence, innovate in patient care, and strive for greater heights in delivering top-quality, safe care to our patients and community.”
Leapfrog assesses nearly 3,000 acute care hospitals across the country using publicly available data in over 30 metrics reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems the hospitals have in place to prevent harm. Each facility is awarded a Hospital Safety Grade from A to F. Of the hospitals analyzed nationwide, one-third received an A.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only national hospital ratings program exclusively based on hospital prevention of serious medical errors, infections and injuries. The transparent Leapfrog grading system is peer-reviewed and available to the public. More information can be found at HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
