UCMC awarded 6th ‘Top Teaching Hospital’ designation by leading industry watchdog Leapfrog Group

For the sixth time, the University of Chicago Medical Center has been named a “Top Teaching Hospital” by The Leapfrog Group, highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality.

The academic medical center is one of only 74 "Top Teaching Hospitals" on the 2023 list, which was published Tuesday, Dec. 5. The patient safety organization also recognized top children’s hospitals, top general hospitals and top rural hospitals. Altogether, 132 hospitals around the country were recognized in various categories.

“The faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students at the University of Chicago Medical Center and Pritzker School of Medicine have consistently shown their dedication to the health and safety of the patients we see on Chicago’s South Side,” said Vineet Arora, MD, Dean for Medical Education at UChicago Medicine. “We are honored to once again be named a Top Teaching Hospital and to have these efforts recognized by The Leapfrog Group.”

Located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, the University of Chicago Medical Center is the focal point of the UChicago Medicine health system. It was previously on Leapfrog’s Top Hospitals list in 2022, 2021, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

To qualify for the distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety, and achieve top performance in their category.

The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance is considered by the watchdog group in establishing qualifications for the award. These areas include infection rates, practices for safer surgery, maternity care, and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors.

“Protecting patients from preventable harm is the cornerstone of The Leapfrog Group’s mission,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “The University of Chicago Medical Center has demonstrated that patient safety is their top priority, and we’re truly pleased to recognize them as a Top Hospital this year. Congratulations to hospital staff at all levels who made this national recognition possible.”

In November, the hospital was awarded its 24th consecutive "A" grade for hospital safety by Leapfrog, making it one of only 18 hospitals in the United States to maintain the top score since June 2012, when the national industry watchdog announced its first grading cycle.

To see the full list of institutions honored as 2023 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.