University of Chicago Medical Center earns 22nd consecutive ‘A’ grade for patient safety, retains 10-year run in elite group

The University of Chicago Medical Center has earned its 22nd consecutive “A” grade in hospital and patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, extending a 10-year run of scoring top honors from the independent watchdog organization.

Of the thousands of acute-care facilities nationwide, the 811-bed University of Chicago Medical Center is one of only 22 hospitals in the country to have earned the top grade in all 22 of The Leapfrog Group’s semiannual report cards, which started in 2012.

“This achievement would not be possible without a well-coordinated team effort that requires various parts of the organization to function and collaborate at the highest level, from those who work at the bedside to everyone who works behind the scenes to support our care teams,” said Tom Jackiewicz, President of the University of Chicago Medical Center, which serves as the hub of the University of Chicago Medicine health system. “As the only hospital in Chicago with the ‘Straight A’ distinction, we do not take this recognition for granted and will continue to reach for higher and more consistent levels of quality and safety.”

Meanwhile, UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial, a 485-bed hospital in suburban Harvey, earned its third consecutive “B” grade.

“Ingalls Memorial is working to continually improve patient safety and outcomes,” said Ingalls’ Interim President Emily Chase, PhD, RN. “We’ve already seen the results of this hard work in our recent improvements in Leapfrog Group’s records as we moved from several years of earning a C grade to our third straight B. We’re eager to build on this progress in the future.”

In assigning a letter grade for the fall 2022 results, The Leapfrog Group reviewed nearly 3,000 acute-care facilities across the country to recognize hospitals that are doing the best at protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. The organization then reviewed more than 30 measures of safety data for each hospital, including rates of preventable errors, injuries and infections. The Leapfrog Group also looked at whether hospitals have systems in place to protect patients from harm. The grading system is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are available to the public for free. Grades are updated every fall and spring based on new data submitted by hospitals.

“I applaud the hospital leadership and workforce for their strong commitment to safety and transparency,” said Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a sign that hospitals are continuously evaluating their performance, so that they can best protect patients. Your hospital team should be extremely proud of their dedication and achievement.”

Separately, UCMC was named to Money's 2022 Best Hospitals for Ethical Billing, one of only 565 U.S. hospitals selected of the more than 2,200 surveyed. Money magazine’s list, published in partnership with The Leapfrog Group, recognizes hospitals across the country for high patient safety grades, clear and comprehensive billing statements, and how ethically it treats patients for late or insufficient payment of medical bills.

For more information about UChicago Medicine’s safety ratings or about The Leapfrog Group, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.