Reading Hospital was awarded an 'A' in the Fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Reading Hospital's achievements in protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization of large employers and other purchasers of health care committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', or 'F' grade to all general acute care hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients.
This designation recognizes Reading Hospital's unwavering commitment to protecting patients from harm and providing care of the highest quality. Reading Hospital is one of only 56 hospitals in Pennsylvania to receive an 'A' grade this Fall, and one of only 20 in the state to achieve the recognition four times in a row.
"We all play an important role in the quality and patient safety provided at our hospital," said William M. Jennings, President and CEO, Reading Hospital. "I am proud to see the efforts and hard work of our staff and physicians reflected in this important recognition, again and again."
"'A' hospitals show us their leadership protecting patients from preventable medical harm and error," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "It takes genuine commitment at every level - from clinicians to administrators to the board of directors - and we congratulate the teams who have worked so hard to earn this A."
Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice each year. The Hospital Safety Grade's methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.
To see Reading Hospital's full grade details, learn how employers can help, and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.
About Reading Hospital
Reading Hospital is the flagship, Magnet Recognized, acute care hospital of Tower Health. Located in West Reading, Pa., Reading Hospital is a 714-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including Reading HealthPlex, McGlinn Cancer Institute, Miller Regional Heart Center, Emergency Department, Level I Trauma Center and Beginnings Maternity Center, which houses the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With more than 1,000 physicians and providers across 46 locations, Reading Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines. It is listed as one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for three consecutive years and received a 5-Star Rating from CMS. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers of health care, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.