Two Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) hospitals are receiving top marks for safety from The Leapfrog Group.

Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) - Cedar Crest and LVH - Muhlenberg received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2023.

“Our colleagues work tirelessly to keep our patients safe,” said Bob Begliomini, PharmD, Senior Vice President, LVHN, and President, LVH - Cedar Crest.

“Everyone who works at our hospital should be proud of this accomplishment, because it shows our commitment to safety and high-quality care,” Begliomini said.

The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization that grades hospitals in the United States for safety by using 30 national performance measures.

“Receiving high marks for safety shows our community that high-quality care is the top priority at our hospitals,” said Jim Miller, CRNA, Senior Vice President, Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, and President, LVH - Muhlenberg.

“Our doctors, nurses and hospital staff are highly skilled and compassionate. Each is focused on delivering LVHN’s promise to heal comfort and care, and that starts with safety,” Miller said.

To grade each hospital, The Leapfrog Group examines errors, accidents, injuries and infections patients may encounter while in the hospital.

Leapfrog also examines the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. Each hospital graded by Leapfrog receives an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F.”

“A main component of achieving high-quality, compassionate care is taking steps to protect patients,” said Matthew McCambridge, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality,

Patient Safety and Acute Care Continuum Officer, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN).

“Achieving an ‘A’ rating from The Leapfrog Group is a testament to our commitment to keeping our patients safe and providing the excellent care they expect and deserve,” McCambridge said.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety grading system is peer-reviewed and transparent to the public. It is also the only safety rating system in the U.S. that exclusively measures how well hospitals prevent medical errors and harm to patients.