ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton and ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah have recently earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. According to the Leapfrog Group, the recognition is awarded to organizations that aim to prioritize patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors.
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.
“The recognition from The Leapfrog Group demonstrates ThedaCare’s continued path to creating healthier communities,” said Mbonu Ikezuagu, MD, MHSA, FACP, CPE, ThedaCare Vice President, Chief Quality Officer. “It also is a testament to our team members who are committed to improving the health and well-being of our communities by empowering each person to live their unique, best life, through coordinated care.”
ThedaCare Regional Medical Centers-Appleton and Neenah provide critical care for Northeast and Central Wisconsin. The Appleton campus is home to a 24/7 Emergency Department, as well as other services including Orthopedic, Cardiovascular, Cancer Care General Surgery, Family Birth and more. The Neenah campus provides services such as the Level II Trauma Center, certified Comprehensive Stroke Center and 24/7 emergency care.
“Our regional medical centers continue to advance coordinated care throughout our service area,” said Dr. Ikezuagu. “This provides patients with greater access to innovative and specialized care, as close to home as 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.
“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. “This hospital received an ‘A’ despite those challenges. I congratulate all the leaders, staff, volunteers and clinicians who together made that possible.”
According to The Leapfrog Group, 3,000 general hospitals are assigned a grade twice per year. Because of limitations and exclusions in publicly available data, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade does not assess hospitals such as: critical access hospitals, specialty hospitals such as children’s hospitals or cancer hospitals. ThedaCare has five Critical Access Hospitals and specialty hospitals which are not eligible to be evaluated.
“ThedaCare is proud of the quality, care and compassion we provide to our patients and families,” said Dr. Ikezuagu. “We are humbled to have the opportunity to advance our care to meet the needs of our communities, while supporting a healthier future for all.”
To see full details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
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.
About ThedaCare
For more than 110 years, ThedaCare® has been committed to improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves in Northeast and Central Wisconsin. The organization delivers care to more than 650,000 residents in 17 counties and employs approximately 7,000 providers and team members. ThedaCare has 180 points of care, including eight hospitals. As an organization committed to being a leader in Population Health, team members are dedicated to empowering people to live their unique, best lives. ThedaCare also partners with communities to understand needs, finding solutions together, and encouraging health awareness and action. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts about a patient’s care. ThedaCare is proud to partner with Children’s Wisconsin and Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network to enhance convenient access to the most advanced levels of specialty care. ThedaCare is a not-for-profit health system with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs, as well as primary care. For more information, visit thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on social media. Members of the media should call Cassandra Wallace, Public and Media Relations Consultant at 920.442.0328 or the ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah switchboard at 920.729.3100 and ask for the marketing person on call.
