For the third consecutive time, all three RUSH University System for Health hospitals have received ‘A’ grades, the highest possible, in the latest grades awarded by The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit watchdog organization. The grades are an assessment of hospitals’ success in protecting patients from harm and medical errors.
RUSH Copley Medical Center now has received A’s in 20 of the 21 sets of grades that Leapfrog has issued since it began rating hospitals for safety in 2012. RUSH University Medical Center now has received 17 ‘A’ grades from Leapfrog, which also named it a Top Teaching Hospital in December 2020. RUSH Oak Park Hospital received its 12th consecutive ‘A,’ continuing its designation as a "Straight A" hospital, and 14th in all.
This morning, Leapfrog announced its latest grades, which are given twice a year, rating more than 2,900 hospitals in the United States for their success at avoiding errors, infections and accidents that can harm patients.
“Avoiding accidents doesn’t happen by accident. Keeping patients safe from falls, infections and other harm while they’re in the hospital requires that everyone make safety precaution habits part of every patient interaction. As our continued streak of ‘A’ grades show, patient safety is deeply embedded in our culture at RUSH University Medical Center. Patients and their families can be confident not only of receiving exceptional care from us, but safe care,” said Dr. Omar Lateef, president and CEO of RUSH University Medical Center.
“Patients want to feel confident in the safety of the care provided by the facilities and caregivers in their community,” said John Diederich, MA, MBA, FACHE, president and CEO of RUSH Copley Medical Center. “This ‘A’ grade is the result of the extraordinary work of our dedicated providers and staff, who consistently strive to deliver safe, high-quality care. I am immensely proud that our team has never wavered from their focus on safety, whether during multiple COVID-19 waves or caring for the everyday health care needs of our community.”
“It’s always an honor to be recognized for quality of care and safety,” said Dr. Dino Rumoro, president and CEO of RUSH Oak Park Hospital. “Receiving our 12th ‘A’ grade in a row while navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic reinforces how committed our team is to delivering the highest standards of care to our patients in a safe environment.”
Measure of hospital safety
Leapfrog assigns grades of A, B, C, D or F in the spring and fall to hospitals nationwide based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, injuries, accidents and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. The grade represents each hospital's overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable medical errors and other kinds of harm while they are in the hospital.
A full analysis of the data and methodology used is available on the Hospital Safety Grade website.
“As our health care system continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of the RUSH hospitals for sustained commitment to patient safety, day in and day out,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is an outstanding achievement, and one that is not possible without a 24/7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm.”
