University of Chicago Medicine's 'A' safety score reaffirmed

October 23, 2013

The University of Chicago Medicine maintained its "A" grade in hospital safety, according to the latest survey of more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals by non-profit The Leapfrog Group.

The Hospital Safety Score, released Wednesday, is an update to the May 2013 ranking. It rates how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries and infections. The University of Chicago Medicine has received an "A" from Leapfrog since the non-profit began regular surveys in June 2012.

"As patients begin to take a more active role in selecting where to receive health care, it has never been more important to focus on hospital safety and transparency," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of Leapfrog, in a statement. "The 'A' hospitals, including the University of Chicago Medicine, are helping us to raise the standards of health care nationwide."

Of the 2,514 general hospitals surveyed, 813 earned an "A," 660 received a "B," 893 earned a "C" and 153 received a "D." Twenty-two hospitals were given an "F."

The Hospital Safety Score is compiled under the guidance of some of the nation's leading experts on patient safety and is administered by The Leapfrog Group, an independent industry watchdog.

Leapfrog uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single score representing a hospital's overall success in keeping patients safe from infections, injuries, and medical and medication errors. Data come from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, plus Leapfrog's own survey.