CONTACT: Lisa Brunette
(608) 263-5830
lbrunette@uwhealth.org
UW, SwedishAmerican hospitals get A grade in patient safety
MADISON – Two UW Health hospitals received a grade of “A” in a report just released by The Leapfrog Group, a national non-profit group advocating for better quality and greater transparency in health care.
University Hospital in Madison and SwedishAmerican Hospital in Rockford (a division of UW Health) were the only hospitals in their respective areas to receive the top grade from Leapfrog this year. This is the fifth consecutive time UW Hospital has received an A for safety from Leapfrog.
For this report, The Leapfrog Group assigned letter grades, from A through F,to more than 2500 hospitals. The grades reflected performance on 28 safety measures and were based on data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the American Hospital Association’s annual survey, the Center for Disease Control, and others.
This year, 773 hospitals received an A; 34 received an F. The greatest number (866) received a grade of C.
“Quality improvement has been a top priority for UW Health for some time, and it requires continual vigilance,” said Betsy Clough, vice president for quality and patient safety for UW Health. “We are working to maintain a strong culture of safety and this high ranking is evidence that we are succeeding.”
UW Hospital performed above average in multiple areas, including prevention of blood clots and serious complications after surgery, using antibiotics appropriately, and dealing with serious breathing problems.
Last month, UW Health was ranked in the 98th percentile for quality among more than 300 accountable-care organizations nationwide according to federal data.
