Illinois ranked 28th in the country with almost 25% of hospitals achieving an A grade
CHICAGO – November 6, 2023 – The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit representing hundreds of the nation’s most influential employers and purchasers of health care, driven in Illinois by the Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH), announced the fall 2023 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. In Illinois, 109 hospitals were graded, and 27 earned an A, 24 a B, 50 a C, and eight a D.
MBGH, a non-profit organization representing employer purchasers of health care, and The Leapfrog Group’s Illinois Regional Leader, annually encourages hospitals statewide to participate in Leapfrog’s online patient safety survey.
The latest grades are the first to reflect post-pandemic hospital performance. Notably, Leapfrog found significant decreases in three dangerous health care-associated infections, but patient experience reports continue to decline.
“No one wants patients to suffer from a preventable medical error, but sadly it happens all too often in hospitals across the country,” said Cheryl Larson, MBGH president and CEO. “Our employer members believe everyone benefits when we know how hospitals are doing so we can work together to prevent these problems and encourage employees and their family members to seek care at hospitals with the highest safety ratings.”
Hospitals earn a letter grade reflecting how well they protect patients from medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections – preventable events that kill an estimated 250,000 Americans every year and harm millions more.
The hospitals that have consistently earned an A in Illinois since 2012 are Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, and University of Chicago Medical Center.
“We know the pandemic caused tremendous strain on hospitals, but we are encouraged by the significant reduction in infections and applaud the hospitals in Illinois that worked to achieve that,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It is clear, however, that many hospitals have not fully rebounded, as shown by the declining patient experience measures. Despite the challenges, we commend the hospitals that are clearly putting patients first.”
The Leapfrog Group has a more than 10-year history of assigning letter grades to general hospitals throughout the US, based on a hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Hospital Safety Grade results are based on more than 30 national performance measures and are updated each fall and spring.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is an independent national nonprofit driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empower purchasers to find the highest-value care, and give consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. For more, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter.
About the Midwest Business Group on Health
Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit supporting employers seeking solutions to better manage the high cost of health care and the health and productivity of their covered populations. Founded in 1980, MBGH offers members leading educational programs, employer-directed research projects, purchasing opportunities, and community-based activities that increase the value of health care services and the health benefits they offer to members. MBGH serves over 150 companies that provide benefits to over 4 million lives, with employer members spending more than $15 billion on health care each year. For additional details visit www.mbgh.org and follow us on LinkedIn and X/Twitter.
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