For the 20th consecutive time, the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from independent national watchdog The Leapfrog Group.
UCMC is one of only 23 acute-care facilities nationwide to have received an A in every cycle since The Leapfrog Group began its twice-yearly survey in 2012, as the “Straight A” list of hospitals continues to shrink. In the spring 2021 survey, UCMC was one of 27 hospitals that received consecutive A’s.
In addition, The Leapfrog Group awarded a B grade to UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial, an improvement over the C’s it has received since spring of 2019. Prior to that, in the fall of 2018, Ingalls received a B.
“The sequential A’s at UCMC and the improvement at Ingalls are great achievements for the UChicago Medicine health system as we, like other healthcare providers, have navigated pandemic-related challenges for more than a year and a half,” said Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD, Dean and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago. “Our organization doesn’t take these achievements for granted and will continue to work hard to find ways to improve the care we provide.”
The Leapfrog Group surveyed nearly 3,000 acute-care facilities using more than 30 measures of safety data including rates of preventable errors, injuries and infections to assign a letter grade, while also accounting for whether hospitals have systems in place to protect patients from harm. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
“UChicago Medicine’s caregivers and support staff have demonstrated a commitment to providing the highest quality of care to our patients and their families while also being on a never-ending quest to improve as a healthcare organization,” said Tom Jackiewicz, President of UCMC, which serves as the hub of the UChicago Medicine health system. “This record reflects the contributions and hard work of every individual to make our hospital environment and our care safer for our patients.”
The Leapfrog Group praised hospitals for their efforts, particularly in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“UChicago Medicine has made a clear and consistent effort to protect patients from harm,” said Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Establishing and maintaining systems that optimize patient safety is especially critical during times of crisis. I am grateful to the leadership and workforce of UChicago Medicine for their unwavering dedication to protecting patients.”
For more information about UChicago Medicine’s ratings or about The Leapfrog Group, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
