University of Chicago Medicine's 'A' safety score reaffirmed

University of Chicago Medicine's 'A' safety score reaffirmed

May 9, 2013

The University of Chicago Medicine maintained its "A" grade in hospital safety, according to the latest survey of more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals.

The Hospital Safety Score, released Wednesday by non-profit The Leapfrog Group, is an update to last November's rankings. The University of Chicago Medicine has had an "A" since Leapfrog began regular surveys in June 2012.

Of the 2,514 general hospitals surveyed, 780 earned an "A" while 638 received a "B" rating. Sixteen hospitals were given an "F." About 74 percent of hospitals maintained the same score from the November 2012 survey.

Illinois ranked 5th in the nation for safety, with 42 percent of hospitals, or 48, receiving an "A." Maine was the top state with 80% of its hospitals getting an "A" grade.

Leapfrog uses 26 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single score representing a hospital's overall success in keeping patients safe from infections, injuries, and medical and medication errors. Data come from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, plus its own survey.