Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) Receives Second Consecutive 'A' Safety Grade from Leapfrog
May 5, 2020MAYWOOD, IL – Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC) received its second consecutive ‘A’ grade from the Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade, considered the “gold measure” of patient safety, is a letter grade assigned to 2,600 general, acute-care hospitals across the country based on how well the hospital protects its patients from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.
In addition to receiving the highest possible rating in the Spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, LUMC also received an ‘A’ grade for fall 2019. Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades are assigned biannually in the fall and spring.
"Safety is the number one priority for Loyola Medicine," says Tad A. Gomez, RPh, MS, FASHP, president of LUMC. "Maintaining a safe environment for our patients, their families, our clinicians and all whom we serve is a crucial step in fulfilling our mission. I am especially proud that Loyola University Medical Center received an ‘A’ for the second consecutive reporting period."
“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 this ‘A’ helps to thank the people who work for Loyola University Medical Center. They are role models in putting patients first, and their service has been extraordinary in our country’s time of need.”
Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, comprised of some of the nation’s leading quality and patient safety experts, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.
In addition to the ‘A’ Safety Grade, Leapfrog named LUMC one of the nation’s 120 Top Teaching Hospitals in 2019. Less than 6% of eligible hospitals (just eight in Illinois) received this prestigious designation. In addition, the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) designated LUMC an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence (CoE). One of only 78 U.S. hospitals and health care systems received this honor, which recognizes institutions that have created stewardship programs led by infectious disease physicians and pharmacists that are “of the highest quality and have achieved standards aligned with evidence-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national guidelines.”
In 2019, LUMC was again ranked among top five hospitals in Illinois by U.S. News & World Report, with four nationally ranked specialties: neurology and neurosurgery (28th), gastroenterology and GI surgery (33rd), cardiology and heart surgery (39th) and urology (41st). Five Loyola specialties are high performing: cancer, geriatrics, nephrology, orthopaedics, pulmonology and lung surgery.
About Loyola Medicine
Loyola Medicine, a member of Trinity Health, is a nationally ranked academic, quaternary care system based in Chicago's western suburbs. The three-hospital system includes Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC), Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, MacNeal Hospital, as well as convenient locations offering primary care, specialty care and immediate care services from nearly 2,000 physicians throughout Cook, Will and DuPage counties. LUMC is a 547-licensed-bed hospital in Maywood that includes the William G. and Mary A. Ryan Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine, the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, the John L. Keeley, MD, Emergency Department, a Level 1 trauma center, Illinois's largest burn center, the Nancy W. Knowles Orthopaedic Institute, a certified comprehensive stroke center, transplant center and a children’s hospital. Having delivered compassionate care for over 50 years, Loyola also trains the next generation of caregivers through its academic affiliation with Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.
Established in 1961, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital is a 247-licensed-bed community hospital in Melrose Park that includes the Judd A. Weinberg Emergency Department, the Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care, Loyola Cancer Care & Research at the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Center, acute rehabilitation, a transitional care center, childcare center and fitness center. Founded in 1919, MacNeal Hospital is a 374-licensed-bed teaching hospital in Berwyn with advanced medical, surgical and psychiatric services and a 68-bed behavioral health program.
For more information, visit loyolamedicine.org. You can also follow Loyola Medicine on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly known as Twitter).
About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, faith-based health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 127,000 colleagues and more than 38,300 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 26 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 93 hospitals, 107 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 142 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. In fiscal year 2024, the Livonia, Michigan-based health system invested $1.3 billion in its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. For more information, visit us at www.trinity-health.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter).