A Raleigh hospital is again on top in nationwide rankings for patient safety and care
The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog group that ranks hospitals each year based on patient safety and quality of care has chosen a Raleigh hospital as one of the best in the nation – again.
▪ UNC Rex Health, named a top hospital in the nation in this week’s report, also recently got an “A” grade in safety from Leapfrog. It’s the only hospital in North Carolina and one of 18 across the country to earn straight A’s since Leapfrog started grading hospitals in 2012, according to a news release.
“Rex is honored to once again be included on Leapfrog’s Top Hospitals list,” UNC Health Rex President Ernie Bovio said in a release after the honors were announced on Tuesday. “We strive for the highest levels of safety and quality, and our teammates and physicians work together to ensure we provide the best care for all of our patients.”
Rex, which has facilities in Raleigh and Holly Springs, is part of UNC Health, an enterprise of the University of North Carolina system.
▪ WakeMed North Hospital in Raleigh also was named a top hospital in the state.
What does the award mean?
Leapfrog, made up of employers and other purchasers focused on health care safety and quality, said its Top Hospital awards are recognized as among the most competitive honors U.S. hospitals can earn. Top Hospitals are chosen in four categories: general, children’s, rural and teaching hospitals.
Leapfrog says the facilities it names as Top Hospitals “have better systems in place to prevent medication errors, higher quality of maternity care and lower infection rates,” among other qualities. To be eligible, hospitals must receive an A in the most recent round of scoring.
On its website, Leapfrog has a searchable database showing its safety grades for hospitals across the country.
The group says its standards are updated annually to reflect current science and are designed to push for better patient outcomes.
What other hospitals in North Carolina were named?
In its release announcing this year’s results Tuesday, Leapfrog said 132 U.S. hospitals earned the Top Hospital award this year, including eight children’s hospitals, 34 general hospitals, 15 rural hospitals and 75 teaching hospitals.
Besides Rex and WakeMed North, Leapfrog’s other top teaching hospitals in the state are:
Atrium Health in Pineville
Carolinas Medical Center and Novant Health Presbyterian in Charlotte
Novant Health Forsyth in Winston-Salem
Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center
Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center
Three hospitals in the state also were named top facilities in the general hospital category:
Atrium Health Anson in Wadesboro
Novant Health Matthews Medical Center
Novant Health Rowan Medical Center in Salisbury
The group also names top ambulatory surgical centers across the country, and three in North Carolina were cited:
Novant Health Ballantyne Outpatient Surgery in Charlotte (also known as Presbyterian Same-Day Surgery Center)
Novant Health Brunswick Endoscopy Center in Supply
Novant Health Huntersville Outpatient Surgery (also known as Presbyterian Surgery Center)
“This recognition is one of the toughest awards in the industry to earn, so the hospitals and [surgery centers] that receive this award have demonstrated an incredible commitment to patient safety and their community,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group said in a release.
“We also salute all the facilities that were in the running for this award—including those that didn’t get it this year. Hospitals and [surgery centers] must be highly transparent about their quality to even be eligible for this award, and transparency is indispensable to achieving excellence. We thank them for earning the trust of their communities and look forward to awarding them in future years.”
Leapfrog says gathering and reporting information on hospitals allows purchasers to find the highest-value care and helps consumers make informed decisions.
