Two Lehigh Valley Health Network hospitals are receiving top marks for safety from The Leapfrog Group. Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) - Cedar Crest and LVH - Muhlenberg received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2023.

A number of St. Luke’s University Health Network campuses – Bethlehem, Allentown, Anderson, Easton, Monroe, Sacred Heart, Upper Bucks and Warren – were among a select group of hospitals across the nation awarded an ‘A’ for their commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards in the U.S.

“Our colleagues work tirelessly to keep our patients safe,” says Bob Begliomini, PharmD, Senior Vice President, LVHN, and President, LVH - Cedar Crest. “Everyone who works at our hospital should be proud of this accomplishment, because it shows our commitment to safety and high-quality care.”

The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization that grades hospitals from across the country for safety by using 30 national performance measures.

“Receiving high marks for safety shows our community that high-quality care is the top priority at our hospitals,” says Jim Miller, CRNA, Senior Vice President, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, and president, LVH - Muhlenberg. “Our doctors, nurses and hospital staff are highly skilled and compassionate. Each is focused on delivering LVHN’s promise to heal comfort and care, and that starts with safety.”

To grade each hospital, The Leapfrog Group examines errors, accidents, injuries and infections patients may encounter while in the hospital. Leapfrog also examines the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. Each hospital graded by Leapfrog receives an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F.”

“A main component of achieving high-quality, compassionate care is taking steps to protect patients,” says Matthew McCambridge, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality, Patient Safety and Acute Care Continuum Officer, Lehigh Valley Health Network.

“Achieving an ‘A’ rating from The Leapfrog Group is a testament to our commitment to keeping our patients safe and providing the excellent care they expect and deserve.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety grading system is peer-reviewed and transparent to the public. It is also the only safety rating system in the country that exclusively measures how well hospitals prevent medical errors and harm to patients.

“This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic,” says Leah Binder, president and CEO, The Leapfrog Group. “But these hospitals received an ‘A’ despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible.”

Geisinger St. Luke’s Hospital was also awarded an ‘A,’ and the St. Luke’s Miners Campus earned a ‘B.’

Developed under the guidance of a panel of national expert, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

The Safety Grade is the only rating solely focused on a hospital’s ability to protect patients from preventable errors, accidents, injuries, and infections. The latest grades provide a look at the impact of COVID-19 on patient safety.

To see full grades, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.