News

The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog organization on hospital safety, has released its spring Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, awarding top marks to seven St. Luke’s University Health Network Hospital campuses.

The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D and F twice annually – in the spring and fall – to hospitals nationwide based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections, accidents, and other harms. Seven St. Luke’s University Health Network campuses were among the more than 850 hospitals awarded an “A” for their commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S.

The St. Luke’s Hospitals receiving an “A” grade were:

• Allentown Campus
• Anderson Campus
• Monroe Campus
• Quakertown / Upper Bucks campuses
• Sacred Heart Campus
• University Hospital – Bethlehem Campus
• Warren Campus, New Jersey 

Developed under the guidance of a Blue Ribbon National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,700 general hospitals in the U.S. twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

“We find that straight ‘A’ hospitals have strong structures of safety in place,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “These hospitals are continuously learning, monitoring data, and addressing areas of improvement.”

“Hospitals with a consistent pattern of protecting patients from errors, accidents, and injuries, like these straight ‘A’ hospitals, seem to have been more prepared when the pandemic hit,” Binder said. “For many, safety and quality are embedded in their daily work at all levels of the organization, which prepared them in turn to respond to the rapidly evolving pandemic. As a part of this culture, straight ‘A’ hospitals have consistently shown a commitment to their workforce, empowering them to ask questions and share safety concerns.”

To see St. Luke’s full grades, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.