This national distinction recognizes UM SRH’s achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade assigns an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade to all general hospitals across the country and is updated every six months. It is based on a hospital’s performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.

“We are incredibly proud of this very significant accomplishment,” said Ken Kozel, president and CEO, UM Shore Regional Health. “Our team members are exceptional, and I am deeply grateful for their dedication to patient care and safety, especially during this pandemic.”

“We are extremely grateful to hospital leadership and health care workers who have remained steadfast in prioritizing patient safety as our nation battles COVID-19,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This ‘A’ is a testament to the care and commitment of those who work for each of these hospitals.”

Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

UM SRH’s hospitals were individually awarded an ‘A’ grade on December 14, when Leapfrog updated grades for fall 2020. The “A” score is the highest score awarded by Leapfrog.

To see the hospitals’ full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook. A score earned by UM SRH is the highest score awarded by Leapfrog