The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization that uses 30 national performance measures to grade hospitals from across the U.S. LVH–Hazleton earned a top safety grade for protecting patients from preventable harm and errors in the hospital.
“Our doctors, nurses and hospital staff prioritize safety,” says Anthony Valente, MD, Chief Medical Officer, LVH–Hazleton. “Everyone at LVH–Hazleton should be proud of earning an ‘A’ for safety because it shows our community that high-quality, compassionate care is available close to home.”
Each hospital graded by Leapfrog receives an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” for safety. Leapfrog’s grading system takes several factors into account, including errors, accidents, injuries and infections patients may encounter while in the hospital. Leapfrog also grades the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.
“A main component of achieving high-quality, compassionate care is taking steps to protect patients,” says Matthew McCambridge, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality, Patient Safety and Acute Care Continuum Officer, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN). “Achieving an ‘A’ rating from The Leapfrog Group is a testament to our commitment to keeping our patients safe and providing the excellent care they expect and deserve.”
The Leapfrog Safety Hospital grading system is peer-reviewed and transparent to the public. It is also the only safety rating system in the country that exclusively measures how well hospitals prevent medical errors and harm to patients.
“This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic,” says Leah Binder, President and CEO, The Leapfrog Group. “But this hospital received an ‘A’ despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible.”
