NEW ORLEANS — Two major New Orleans-area hospitals, Touro Infirmary and West Jefferson Medical Center, have earned top Hospital Safety Grades from The Leapfrog Group, reflecting sustained performance on national measures tied to preventable errors, injuries and infections.
Touro received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for the seventh consecutive grading cycle, qualifying it as a “Straight A” hospital, while West Jefferson Medical Center marked its fourth consecutive “A.”
Touro Earns ‘Straight A’ Designation
“Earning an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade for seven consecutive rounds reflects the commitment our teams bring to patient care every single day,” said Dr. Christopher Lege, President and CEO of Touro. “At Touro, patient safety is part of every decision we make and every interaction we have, and we’re proud to be recognized nationally for creating an environment where patients and families can feel confident in the care they receive.”
“Touro achieving ‘Straight A’ status is the result of a culture that prioritizes quality, accountability and continuous improvement across the hospital,” said Kelly Leblanc, Senior Director of Patient Safety & Quality for Touro. “This recognition reflects the work happening behind the scenes every day to strengthen patient safety and deliver the highest standard of care for our community.”
West Jefferson Extends ‘A’ Safety Streak
West Jefferson Medical Center also maintained its “A” Hospital Safety Grade, marking its fourth consecutive top rating.
“Achieving the highest grade from Leapfrog four times in a row truly underscores our mission to provide the highest quality of care to all our patients,” said Garett May, President and CEO of West Jefferson Medical Center. “I want to first congratulate our entire team at West Jeff for upholding these high standards as well as express my gratitude for our community for trusting us to care for them and their loved ones.”
“The multidisciplinary team at West Jefferson Medical Center has worked diligently to ensure patient safety and maintain an exceptional quality of care,” said Darlene Gondrella, Vice President of Quality for West Jefferson Medical Center. “Not only are we honored to have been granted several high grades from Leapfrog, but our surgical team was recently recognized by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses as a Center of Excellence in Surgical Safety: Prevention of RSI.”
How Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades Are Determined
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade assigns letter grades to hospitals nationwide using evidence-based measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.
The program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and updated twice annually, and is focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, injuries and infections that can lead to harm or death.
“An ‘A’ grade is a strong sign that a hospital is deeply committed to protecting patients from harm,” said Leah Binder. “We commend the leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers who make that possible.”
