EvergreenHealth Receives "A" Grade For Patient Safety

EvergreenHealth Receives “A” Grade for Patient Safety Kirkland, Wash.

EvergreenHealth  announced that it has again received an “A” grade for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, a leading national nonprofit watchdog on hospital quality and safety. The EvergreenHealth is one of only 15 hospitals in Washington to achieve an A rating this fall, according to Leapfrog’s latest Hospital Safety Grades report.

 “Earning recognition from respected health care quality organizations, including The Leapfrog Group, is affirmation of the commitment and results achieved by our staff in providing safe, high quality care and service. We are grateful for the recognition, knowing that safety and quality are continuous journeys,” said Jeff Tomlin, MD, CEO of EvergreenHealth.


The Fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades assign letter grades – A, B, C, D and F – to general acute care hospitals in the U.S. Of the more than 2,600 hospitals graded, EvergreenHealth was among the 33% that earned an A grade, while 25% earned a B, 34% earned a C, 8% earned a D and just under 1% of hospitals earned an F.

In Washington state, 15 of the 45 evaluated earned an A, including EvergreenHealth’s partner hospital in the Eastside Health Alliance, Overlake Medical Center and Clinics. EvergreenHealth has consistently earned recognition from Leapfrog for delivering high-quality, safe care since 2012, when the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade was first established.

Areas of measurement include hospital-wide safety concerns, nurse engagement and leadership, hand hygiene adherence and surgical site infection rates, among others. The rankings are calculated by top patient safety experts and they are peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Hospitals do not pay to be evaluated by Leapfrog nor can they opt out of the process.

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national non-profit 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.  Leapfrog commends others who have joined in the drive for transparency, including the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services.

 In addition to high scores from Leapfrog, EvergreenHealth is named as one of Healthgrades’ “America’s 100 Best Hospitals” and was recognized in U.S. News & World Report’s “2019 Best Hospitals” rankings, along with earning a five-star rating from CMS Hospital Compare. It was also named as 425 magazine’s “Best Hospital and Health System” in 2019. See Leapfrog’s full report at www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.

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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.

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.

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About EvergreenHealth: EvergreenHealth is an integrated health care system serving nearly one million residents in King and Snohomish counties with a breadth of services and programs that are among the most comprehensive in the region. Formed as a public hospital district in 1972, EvergreenHealth includes a 318-bed acute care medical center in Kirkland and a 72-bed hospital, EvergreenHealth Monroe, which is an accredited, fullservice public hospital district established in 1960 in Monroe, Washington.

The system also includes a network of 13 primary care practices, five urgent care centers, more than two dozen specialty care practices, and 24/7 emergency care from its Kirkland, Monroe and Redmond locations. EvergreenHealth remains committed to its purpose to enrich the health and well-being of the community by providing clinical excellence in more than 80 specialties and through extensive community health outreach and education programs, anchored by the 24/7 EvergreenHealth Nurse Navigator & Healthline.

The health system is consistently named as one of Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals and it is one of only 293 hospitals nationwide to hold a 5-Star Overall Rating from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS). Learn more at www.evergreenhealth.com. MEDIA CONTACTS: Kayse Dahl EvergreenHealth 425.899.1855 KLDahl@evergreenhealthcare.org