Keck Hospital of USC earned an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national patient safety watchdog organization, in the fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. This rating places Keck Hospital among the safest hospitals in the United States and follows the hospital’s spring 2020 and fall 2019 “A” grades.
“Our ‘A’ hospital safety grade reflects the dedication of our physicians and staff who make patient safety and well-being their top priority,” said Rod Hanners, interim CEO for Keck Medicine of USC. “We are thrilled to be recognized for our commitment to exceptional patient care for the third time in a row.”
The Leapfrog Group assigns an “A” through “F” grade to all general hospitals across the country. The grade is based on a hospital’s performance in preventing patient harm.
Keck Hospital’s “A” grade is the result of a strict adherence to comprehensive quality and safety programs and a dedication to continuous improvement projects, which did not waver during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has been challenging for health care organizations, but Keck Hospital met the challenge by following evidence-based standards of care that were higher than what was recommended,” said Stephanie Hall, MD, MHA, chief medical officer of Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital. “As a result, we were able to continue to ensure the highest level of safety for our patients.”
In fact, the antimicrobial stewardship program at Keck Hospital, along with USC Norris and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, was recently awarded Silver Honor Roll Status with the California Department of Public Health, a notable distinction during the time of COVID-19.
Developed under the guidance of a national panel of experts, the 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 grading methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.
To see Keck Hospital’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.
— Alison Rainey