Rush University Medical Center receives A grade for patient safety for eighth consecutive time

For the eighth consecutive time, Rush University Medical Center has received an "A" for patient safety in a nationwide evaluation of hospitals by the Leapfrog Group. Rush has received an A, the top grade possible, each time the Leapfrog Group has rated hospitals since launching the organization's Hospital Safety Score in June 2012.

Only 133 of the 2,530 hospitals nationwide that Leapfrog evaluated for the latest score have received straight A's. The score represents Rush's overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable medical errors, injuries and infections while they are in the hospital.

"Taking a deeper look at the 133 'Straight A' hospitals reveals a diverse group, similar only in their consistent commitment to patient safety," says Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "I commend you for your consistency in putting your patients first." The Leapfrog Group is a national not-for-profit organization that promotes health care safety and quality improvement.

"Nothing is more important than protecting the well-being of our patients while they receive care at Rush, and our straight As from Leapfrog show we largely are succeeding in this goal," says Omar Lateef, DO, Rush's chief medical officer. "This high performance is due to the concerted effort of our staff to use evidence based best practices consistently. It is an honor for all of us."

The A grade is the second major recognition Rush has received in October for the high quality of its care. The UHC ranked Rush second among 102 academic medical centers nationwide in its annual Quality and Accountability Study. The study results were announced Oct. 1.

Rush has ranked in the top five in the UHC study seven times and in the top 20 in each year since the UHC began the study in 2005. "This consistently high level of performance is a great testament to Rush's commitment to quality. It shows our caregivers' high degree of reliability in following best practices every day, every time," says Richa Gupta, Rush's chief quality officer.