Silver Cross New Lenox earns 20th ‘A’ for patient safety

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox is “one of an elite number of hospitals nationally” in terms of patient safety, according to a news release from Silver Cross.

That’s because Silver Cross recently received its 20th consecutive “A” hospital safety grade by the Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit hospital ratings program and the only program “focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, injuries and infections that can lead to harm or even death,” according to the release.

“Everyone who works and volunteers at Silver Cross Hospital should take immense pride in this accomplishment,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group, said in the release. “It reflects enormous dedication to your patients and their families, and your whole community should be proud. I extend my congratulations to Silver Cross Hospital, its leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for their tireless efforts to put patients first.”

The Leapfrog Group assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade based on more than 30 performance measures, according to the release.

These measures include accidents, errors, infections and injuries, along with “the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them,” according to the release.

The Leapfrog Group assigns grades each fall and spring. Its grading system is “peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public,” according to the release.

[ Baran-Unland: Why you should care about local hospitals’ Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades ]

Michael Mutterer, president and CEO at Silver Cross Hospital, congratulated the entire hospital team “on this extraordinary achievement.”

“Consistent actions form habits,” Mutterer said in the release. “And at Silver Cross, we’re consistently focused on what matters most: the safety of our patients. We’re proud of our safety culture that encourages every one of our employees, medical staff members and volunteers to speak up for safety. This takes dedication at every level of our organization to ensure our patients receive the highest standard of care they expect and deserve, day in and day out.”

To check the letter grade of hospitals and for patient safety tips, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.