MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center Awarded 'A' Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group for Sixth Consecutive Time

Grade reflects top national performance on patient safety through COVID-19 pandemic

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center received an "A" Hospital Safety Grade for Spring 2023 from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.

This national distinction celebrates Saddleback Medical Center's achievements in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. The new grades reflect performance primarily during the height of the pandemic. It is the sixth time Saddleback Medical Center has received this award.

"We are proud to once again be recognized by The Leapfrog Group with an 'A' Safety Grade," said Marcia Manker, chief executive officer, MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center. "This recognition reflects the efforts of our physicians and care teams to provide safe, compassionate care during the COVID-19 pandemic and our ongoing commitment to improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve by ensuring that our patients' safety is a top priority."

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an "A," "B," "C," "D" or "F" grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

"This new update of Hospital Safety Grades shows that, at the national level, we saw deterioration in patient safety with the pandemic," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "But this hospital received an 'A' despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible."

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

To see Saddleback Medical Center's full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

About MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center
MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center is a member of MemorialCare, a not-for-profit, integrated health care delivery System.  Saddleback Medical Center received U.S. News & World Report high performance rankings for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, Diabetes, Heart Attack, Kidney Failure, Knee Replacement, Pneumonia, and Stroke. It was named among Healthgrade's America's 250 Best Hospitals, Top 50 U.S. Cardiovascular Hospitals, Orange County Register Best Orange County Hospitals and Top Workplaces; received Magnet Nursing Excellence designation and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Stroke Care Gold Plus and among first U.S. hospitals earning Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center Certification and Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation. Centers of Excellence include cancer, heart, orthopedics, spine, neuroscience, gastroenterology, emergency and critical care, breast health, imaging, women's health, obstetrics, geriatrics, and minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery. To learn more, visit memorialcare.org/saddleback.

About The Leapfrog Group 
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC 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. For more, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter.

SOURCE MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center