UCI Health receives The Leapfrog Group’s prestigious Top Hospital Award

Patient safety and quality recognition is one of the most competitive in the United States

Orange, Calif. — UCI Medical Center has been named a Top Hospital of 2023 by The Leapfrog Group. The honor is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive, an elite distinction that recognizes UCI Health for meeting rigorous national safety and quality standards. Only 132 hospitals nationally received this recognition, which showcases the UCI Health commitment to providing the safest, highest quality healthcare to patients.

“It is an honor to be listed as one of America’s top hospitals,” said UCI Health CEO and President Chad T. Lefteris. “Being selected from hundreds of hospitals nationwide is not just a recognition of our dedication to excellence, but also a testament to the hard work and professionalism of our entire team. This prestigious distinction from The Leapfrog Group aligns perfectly with our mission — Discover, Teach, Heal — and our commitment to improve the health of our community.”

Multiple areas of performance considered

The selection from among more than 2,100 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.

“Protecting patients from preventable harm is the cornerstone of The Leapfrog Group’s mission,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “UCI Health has demonstrated that patient safety is their top priority, and we’re truly pleased to recognize them as a Top Hospital this year. Congratulations to hospital staff at all levels who made this national recognition possible.”

Top Hospitals also must have earned an “A” from Leapfrog’s Hospital Grade Report, which grades hospitals twice a year based on expert analysis of infections, injuries and medical errors. In November, UCI Health received an “A” grade in the fall 2023 Hospital Safety Grade Report. The medical center has received the top Hospital Safety Grade 18 times since 2014.

Accolades for county's only academic health system

Additional patient quality and safety milestones at UCI Health include:

• American Nurses Credentialing Center renewed its Magnet Recognition of UCI Health and its nurses for a fifth time, an achievement fewer than 10% of U.S. hospitals reach. Magnet Recognition is considered the gold standard for nursing excellence and is a testament to the continued dedication to high-quality nursing practice at UCI Health.
• Vizient., Inc. recognized UCI Medical Center as a five-star hospital and a top 10 performer nationally in the 2023 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Annual Ranking.
• Vizient, Inc. also recognized the outpatient network at UCI Health as one of the top 10 ambulatory systems in the country.
• Recognition as one of America’s best cancer hospitals by Newsweek in its inaugural rankings of the specialty, highlighting the academic health system’s commitment to exceptional cancer care.
• UCI Medical Center was recognized among America’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for the 23rd consecutive year.

To qualify for the distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety and achieve top performance in their category. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2023 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals. To see the full list of institutions honored as a 2023 Top Hospital, please visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.

About UCI Health

UCI Health is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, and the only academic health system in Orange County. Patients can access UCI Health at primary and specialty care offices across Orange County and at its main campus, UCI Medical Center in Orange, Calif. The 459-bed, acute care hospital, listed among America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 23 consecutive years, provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation services. UCI Medical Center is home to Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center and regional burn center. UCI Health serves a region of nearly 4 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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 and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving 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.