UF Health Shands Hospital and UF Health Jacksonville earn top grade for safety

UF Health Shands Hospital and UF Health Jacksonville have each received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit that assesses and reports on quality and safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.

This distinction once again recognizes the hospitals’ achievements in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harms and errors.

“Our caregivers put a tremendous amount of effort into the work they do and receiving the top grade from Leapfrog reflects that effort,” said David R. Nelson, M.D., senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health. “We will continue to prioritize quality and patient safety at UF Health as we fulfill our mission of promoting health through outstanding and high-quality patient care.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on prevention of 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.

“We are honored to have received an A from Leapfrog once again,” said Nicole Iovine, M.D., Ph.D., chief epidemiologist and interim chief quality officer at UF Health Shands Hospital. “This recognition reflects our commitment to deliver a high level of quality and safety to our patients.”

Iovine said engagement and innovation lay the groundwork for achieving excellence in all aspects of health care and UF Health patients deserve nothing less. Strong performances on metrics such as Leapfrog scores demonstrate the hospital’s commitment to providing the best possible patient experience.

“It is amazing to see the dedication of our caregivers day in and day out,” said Jim Kelly, interim CEO of UF Health Shands. “Being recognized by The Leapfrog Group for our demonstrated efforts around quality and patient safety is truly an honor and would not be possible without the commitment of our faculty and staff.”

UF Health Jacksonville boosted its Leapfrog score from a “B” to an “A” in the current ratings.

“This Leapfrog score is a dedication to excellence by our staff, physician partners and the entire team of people who support them. And it is a testament that patient safety is paramount to everything we do at UF Health,” said Patrick L. Green, FACHE, CEO of UF Health Jacksonville. “Our focus has always been continuous improvement, so that our outcomes reflect the extraordinary care that is provided in all of our facilities every day. We’re thrilled that those efforts are being recognized.”

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 transparently 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.