UChicago Medicine earns 16th consecutive 'A' in patient safety from Leapfrog Group

The University of Chicago Medicine has earned its 16^th consecutive "A" in patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, further validating the academic medical center's patient-safety track record as being among the best in the nation.

UChicago Medicine now is among only 36 hospitals nationwide -; and remains the only one in Chicago -; to have earned continuous top marks from the Leapfrog Group since the independent watchdog began compiling its report card in June 2012.

Delivering this level of exceptional patient care requires a relentless commitment to excellence and a hospital culture that's deeply rooted in safety. Our superior record is a measure of the care and professionalism of our entire multidisciplinary clinical staff, from physicians to nurses to pharmacists. We are grateful to everyone for making this achievement possible."

Kenneth S. Polonsky, MD, Dean and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago

The Leapfrog Group uses 28 publicly available hospital safety measures to assign letter grades to more than 2,600 acute-care hospitals. Its grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and available to the public.

The list of hospitals with consecutive "A" grades has been shrinking in each review cycle, which occurs twice a year. In this past spring's results, 41 health care providers had such a record. By comparison, 182 hospitals earned the "Straight A" honor in during the spring 2015 report.

"This is a great organizational achievement," said Debra Albert, DNP, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer. "And it is reflective of the work of all our clinical teams, all those who provide direct patient care and all those who put the support and processes in place to safely care for our patients."