News

The George Washington University Hospital was awarded a “B” in the Fall 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing the hospital’s level of patient safety and quality of care.

The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit that grades hospitals twice per year, scoring them on preventable errors, injuries and infections, assigning them an A, B, C, D, or F grade. It was designed to empower consumers in making their or a loved one’s healthcare decisions and has been in effect for the past 10 years, considered the gold standard measurement of patient safety. The Leapfrog Grade is the only hospital scoring system that exclusively assesses hospital safety. In addition to informing consumers, Leapfrog’s systematized analysis has elevated the safety, quality and affordability of healthcare in the U.S.

Leapfrog assesses nearly 3,000 acute-care hospitals across the U.S., reviewing more than 30 performance metrics from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and other supplemental data. Completed annually, the voluntary survey asks hospitals to self-report their quality and safety data. The peer reviewed methodology used to determine the safety score was developed by an expert panel that is composed of several national patient safety experts, and the grade is made available to the public.

The Fall 2022 assessment does reflect a hospital’s safety and quality of care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and whereas The George Washington University Hospital saw an improvement in care, the Leapfrog Group reported that many hospitals in their assessment saw a deterioration in patient care and safety during this time period.

“We are proud of the quality of compassionate care reflected in our 'B' grade,” said Kimberly Russo, CEO of The George Washington University Hospital. “Our staff will continue to advocate for our patients and prioritize safety and quality so we can maintain a level of excellence in the care of all our patients.”