Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway, an institution within the RWJBarnabas Health network, has been awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Score rating by The Leapfrog Group.
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization driven by employers and significant healthcare benefit purchasers, is recognized for its role in evaluating and advocating for healthcare service quality and safety across the United States.
The Hospital Safety Score, an objective assessment, assigns letter grades to general hospitals nationwide based on over 30 comprehensive performance measures. These measures encompass various aspects of healthcare, including the prevention of errors, accidents, injuries, infections, and the implementation of systems designed to mitigate harm.
This accomplishment underscores Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway’s dedication to patient and family safety.
Kirk Tice, President and CEO at RWJUH Rahway, expressed the institution’s satisfaction with the recognition, stating, “Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway is pleased with this acknowledgment. The Leapfrog Group score reflects our organization’s commitment to creating a secure environment for our patients and their families.”
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is an exclusive and impartial hospital rating program, emphasizing a hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors, infections, and injuries – factors contributing to over 500 patient fatalities daily in the United States.
The evaluations provided by Leapfrog undergo peer-review and are transparent, accessible to the public. These grades are updated biannually, in the fall and spring.
Guided by a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade relies on publicly available data regarding hospital safety to assign grades to nearly 3,000 acute-care hospitals throughout the nation. This methodology is peer-reviewed, and the results are entirely transparent and accessible to the public.
Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, acknowledged RWJUH Rahway’s achievement, stating, “Earning an ‘A’ Grade indicates RWJUH Rahway’s firm commitment to prioritizing patient safety. We commend the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff, and volunteers for their collective contribution to this milestone.”
In addition to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway, three other RWJBarnabas Health facilities have been granted an “A” safety grade by The Leapfrog Group, including Community Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus.
Notably, Jersey City Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, RWJUH New Brunswick, and RWJUH Hamilton received a “B” hospital safety score.
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s most extensive academic healthcare system, providing services across eight counties to a population of five million people. The system operates twelve acute care hospitals, three acute care children’s hospitals, specialized healthcare centers, behavioral health services, trauma centers, outpatient facilities, and more.
As one of New Jersey’s largest private employers, RWJBarnabas Health has a workforce of over 38,000 employees and a network of 9,000 physicians.
The organization has consistently received national accolades for its quality and safety standards and has established a strategic affiliation with Rutgers University, creating the state’s largest academic healthcare system.
The Leapfrog Group, established in 2000, consists of prominent employers and other healthcare purchasers dedicated to advancing patient safety. Through various initiatives, including the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center Survey, and the Hospital Safety Grade, the organization collects and transparently reports hospital and ambulatory surgery center performance, enabling purchasers to make objective and informed healthcare decisions and helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.