December 12, 2024

The Health

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UF Health Shands Hospital, UF Health North earn an ‘A’ Leapfrog hospital safety grade

UF Health Shands Hospital, UF Health North earn an ‘A’ Leapfrog hospital safety grade

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – UF Health Shands has once again earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization that assesses and reports on quality and safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. UF Health North in Jacksonville also improved from a “B” to an “A” in the latest ratings.

This distinction recognizes the hospitals’ achievements in protecting patients from preventable harms and errors.

“Receiving the top grade from Leapfrog is a testament to the tremendous effort our caregivers put into the work they do both here in Gainesville and in Jacksonville at UF Health North,” said Stephen Motew, M.D., president and system CEO of the UF Health clinical enterprise. “UF Health will continue to prioritize quality and patient safety as we fulfill our mission of promoting health through outstanding, compassionate, high-quality patient care.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program focused only on preventing medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, transparent, and free to the public. Grades are updated every fall and spring.

“It’s a great honor to once again receive an “A” from Leapfrog,” said John Hollingsworth, M.D., chief quality officer for UF Health Shands hospitals and practices. “I want to thank Dr. Nicole Iovine, who graciously served as interim chief quality officer during the two most recent rounds of grades. Her guidance and expertise were invaluable in helping us maintain our safety grade. At the same time, this achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, whose commitment to patient safety and quality care is the true driving force behind this success.”

Earning top grades on metrics such as Leapfrog further demonstrates the hospital’s dedication to providing the best possible patient experience, Hollingsworth said.

UF Health North leadership also recognized the hard work and dedication to patient safety that goes into an “A” safety grade.

“Many factors go into being the most trusted health care provider in the region, and patient safety is the most important. That’s why we’re thrilled that UF Health North received a top grade from Leapfrog this year,” said Patrick L. Green, CEO of UF Health Jacksonville. “Our caregivers across UF Health Jacksonville are dedicated to compassionate, high-quality care and that’s our focus every day. This recognition is a direct result of that effort.”

The Leapfrog Group was founded in 2000 with a mission to drive a movement of giant leaps for patient safety, according to the nonprofit. The organization conducts surveys to collect and report performance in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. Its safety grade initiative complements Leapfrog’s other efforts by assigning letter grades to hospitals based on their patient safety record to better assist consumers in protecting themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.

Visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org to see full details about UF Health Shands Hospital’s grade and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital.

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