UCI Health earns Leapfrog Group’s 2015 ‘Top Hospital’ recognition
Fewer than 100 U.S. hospitals achieve highest award
December 02, 2015
UC Irvine Medical Center ranks among The Leapfrog Group’s Top Hospitals of 2015, an elite distinction that recognizes UCI Health for meeting tough national standards for safety and quality. Only 98 hospitals nationally received this recognition, which showcases the UCI Health commitment to Leapfrog’s vision of providing the safest, highest quality health care for consumers and purchasers alike.
“It is an honor to be listed as one of America’s top 98 hospitals,” said Douglas G. Merrill, MD, MBA, chief medical officer, UC Irvine Medical Center, and senior associate dean for quality and patient safety, UCI Health. “Recognition from The Leapfrog Group validates the commitment our entire health care team and hospital staff makes to patients each day.”
The selection from among more than 1,600 hospitals reviewed is based on the results of The Leapfrog Group’s annual hospital survey, which measures hospitals’ performance on patient safety and quality, focusing on three critical areas of hospital care: how patients fare, resource use and management structures established to prevent errors. Performance across many areas of hospital care is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including survival rates for high-risk procedures and a hospital’s ability to prevent medication errors.
Top Hospitals also must have earned an “A” from Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Score, which grades hospitals twice a year based on expert analysis of infections, injuries and medical errors. In October, UCI Health received an “A” grade in the fall 2015 Hospital Safety Score. The medical center has received the top Hospital Safety Score grade for three consecutive reporting periods.
“Leapfrog’s Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most prestigious distinctions any hospital can achieve in the United States,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Top Hospitals have lower infection rates, better outcomes, decreased length of stay and fewer readmissions. By achieving Top Hospital status, UCI Health has proven it prioritizes the safety of its patients, is committed to transparency and provides exemplary care for families and patients in Orange County. I congratulate the UC Irvine’s board, staff, and clinicians whose efforts achieved these results.”
The Top Hospital award is given to urban, rural and children's hospitals that publicly report their performance through the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey and meet the high standards defined in each year's Top Hospitals Methodology.
To see the full list of institutions honored as a 2015 Top Hospital, please visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.
About The Leapfrog Group Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. Hospital Safety Score, 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.
UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at physician offices throughout Orange County and at its main campus, UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., a 411-bed acute care hospital that provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation. U.S. News & World Report has listed it among America’s Best Hospitals for 15 consecutive years. UC Irvine Medical Center features Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center, and is the primary teaching hospital for UC Irvine School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the University of California, Irvine: Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.
