For the fourth time in a row, all three RUSH hospitals received ‘A’ grades, the highest possible, in the latest grades awarded by The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit watchdog organization. The grades are an assessment of hospitals’ success in protecting patients from harm and medical errors.
RUSH Copley Medical Center now has received A’s in 21 of the 22 sets of grades that Leapfrog has issued since it began rating hospitals for safety in 2012. RUSH University Medical Center now has received 18 ‘A’ grades from Leapfrog. RUSH Oak Park Hospital received its 13th consecutive ‘A,’ continuing its designation as a "Straight A" hospital, and 15th in all.
This morning, Leapfrog announced its latest grades, which are given twice a year, rating nearly 3,000 hospitals in the United States for their success at preventing errors, infections and accidents that can harm patients.
“RUSH is deeply committed to patient safety,” said Dr. Omar Lateef, president and CEO of RUSH. “Our many years of straight ‘A’ grades reflect that commitment. Patients, wherever they receive their care at RUSH, will benefit from our belief that safety is foundational to helping patients heal.”
“The latest Leapfrog safety grades affirm once again that RUSH consistently provides care at the highest level of safety, thanks to the knowledge, expertise and diligence of our extraordinary care teams,” said Angelique Richard, PhD, RN, CENP, chief nursing officer of RUSH and RUSH University Medical Center and the medical center’s senior vice president of hospital operations.
“Our team is focused on delivering quality service and care with the highest standards of safety,” said John Diederich, MA, MBA, FACHE, president and CEO of RUSH Copley Medical Center. “This recognition attests to the strong culture of safety and compassionate care that our patients experience.”
“To consistently receive the Leapfrog ‘A’ grade is a testament to our great staff, who work to ensure patients are cared for in the safest environment," said Dr. Dino Rumoro, president and CEO of RUSH Oak Park Hospital. “It’s a reflection of the commitment and the dedication of the medical, nursing and professional staff throughout RUSH Oak Park."
Measure of hospital safety
Leapfrog assigns grades of A, B, C, D or F in the spring and fall to hospitals nationwide based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, injuries, accidents and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. The grade represents each hospital's overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable medical errors and other kinds of harm while they are in the hospital.
A full analysis of the data and methodology used is available on the Hospital Safety Grade website.
“I applaud the RUSH hospitals’ leadership and workforce for their strong commitment to safety and transparency,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ safety grade is a sign that hospitals are continuously evaluating their performance, so that they can best protect patients. The RUSH team should be extremely proud of their dedication and achievement.”
RUSH also honored for ethical billing
Leapfrog, along with Money magazine, also included RUSH University Medical Center on its new list of Best Hospitals for Ethical Billing, which was announced Nov. 9. To create the list, Money used data from Leapfrog’s annual survey of hospitals nationwide.
Leapfrog’s assessment of billing ethics included the following criteria:
- Providing patients with a thorough billing statement or itemized bill within 30 days of final claims adjudication
- Telling patients how to contact a billing representative who can assist with billing issues and help arrange for adjustments, payment plans or debt forgiveness
- Not taking legal action against patients for late or insufficient payment of bills
- Making the costs of common procedures available on the hospital’s website
