Newswise — SEATTLE – (Nov. 8, 2018) – Virginia Mason has earned its 14th straight “A” for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, the national health care improvement advocacy organization that today announced its safety grades for more than 2,600 hospitals across the United States.

Virginia Mason is the only medical center in Washington state, and one of only 42 in the country, to have received the highest grade possible since the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade program began in spring of 2012.

“Safe care is the foundation for quality care,” said Virginia Mason Chairman and CEO Gary S. Kaplan, MD. “This continuing recognition of Virginia Mason by Leapfrog affirms that our organization’s commitment to excellence in quality and safety is making a difference for our patients.”

Twice a year, Leapfrog assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals based on how safe they are for patients. Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, Leapfrog uses 28 measures of publicly available safety data to assign grades to U.S. hospitals in the spring and fall. The Hospital Safety Grade methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

“Virginia Mason’s continued success in achieving an A rating is evidence that the organization places an emphasis on protecting patients from preventable medical errors, injuries and infections,” said Leah Binder, CEO, The Leapfrog Group. “We are inspired by Virginia Mason’s leadership on patient safety.”

As part of the Virginia Mason vision to transform health care, team members use resources of the Virginia Mason Production System (VMPS), the organization’s innovative management method, to continuously improve quality, safety and the patient experience. Also, Virginia Mason shares its expertise in these areas by providing training in VMPS principles to health care professionals in the United States, Canada, England, Japan and other countries.

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other health care purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care.