The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health-care ratings organization, has released new Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, awarding top marks to more St. Luke’s hospitals than to those of any other health-care network in the region.

The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of A, B, C, D and F twice annually (in spring and fall) to hospitals nationwide based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms.

A number of St. Luke’s University Health Network campuses, Bethlehem, Allentown, Anderson, Miners, Monroe and Warren, were among a select group of hospitals across the nation awarded an “A” for their commitment to keeping patients safe and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States.

“This ‘A rating’ is an important validation of St. Luke’s continued focus on and commitment to patient safety, which in light of COVD-19 is more important now than ever,” St. Luke’s Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer Donna Sabol said.

“St. Luke’s superior safety ratings demonstrate that our facilities are safe and ready to treat patients even during this time of COVID-19,” said Sabol.

Developed under the guidance of a Blue Ribbon National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly-available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

“As the nation copes with a challenging pandemic, our gratitude extends to hospital leadership and health care workers everywhere for their tremendous dedication,” said Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.

“We hope these A’s help to thank the people who work and volunteer for St. Luke’s University Health Network. They are role models in putting patients first, and their service has been extraordinary in our country’s time of need.”

Information: www.hospitalsafetygrade.org