St. Joseph’s Health Receives Third Consecutive National ‘A’ Safety Grade

Only Hospital in Central New York to Receive the Highest Mark for Safety from the Nonprofit Watchdog Organization

Syracuse, NY (April 30, 2020) – St. Joseph’s Health Hospital received an ‘A’ in the spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade today amid the COVID-19 crisis and is the only hospital in Central New York to receive this designation. This is St. Joseph’s third consecutive Grade ‘A’ safety grade.

The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit watchdog organization that serves as a voice for health care purchasers, using their collective influence to foster positive change in U.S. health care.

Surveyed hospitals are assessed based on three of Leapfrog’s most important patient safety standards: infections, hand hygiene, and ICU physician staffing. The Safety Grade assigns an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care

“Safety has always been part of St. Joseph’s Health’s culture - from frequent hand washing, wearing proper PPE to rigorous cleanings of exam, surgical and patient rooms,” said Leslie Paul Luke, president and CEO at St. Joseph’s Health. “This rating demonstrates the success of our efforts to be the safest and most reliable hospital in the region. Patient safety is critically important for all hospitals, especially during the current Coronavirus pandemic. To be named among the safest hospitals in the country serves as firm reassurance to our patients and the community that they should feel comfortable coming to us for care.”

Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

About St. Joseph’s Health

St. Joseph’s Health is a regional non-profit health care system based in Syracuse, NY. St. Joseph’s has been an innovative leader in health care since our founding in 1869 as the first hospital open to the public in the city of Syracuse. Offering primary, specialty and home care, a Magnet-recognized hospital, and collaboration with community partners, St. Joseph's Health advances the well-being of the communities we serve through an expanding range of services to ensure our patients achieve optimum long-term health. St. Joseph’s is ranked by Consumer Reports among the top 15 heart surgery centers in the country, a designated Stroke Center and a U.S. News “Best Regional Hospital.” St. Joseph’s Health is affiliated with Franciscan Companies and St. Joseph’s Physicians, and is a member of Trinity Health. St. Joseph’s Health is celebrating our 150^th Anniversary throughout 2019. For more information on our founding Sisters of St. Francis including Saint Marianne Cope, our legacy and our innovations, visit www.sjhsyr.org/legacy.

About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

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