Nine Hackensack Meridian Health Hospitals Awarded ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grades from Leapfrog Group for Spring 2023 – the Most of Any Health Network in New Jersey

New Jersey Hospitals Rank Among the Safest in the Nation; 75% of HMH Hospitals Have A Grades, Compared to the National Average of Nearly 30%

Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive health network, is proud to announce today that nine of its network hospitals have been awarded an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, for Spring 2023 – the most ‘A’ grades of any health system in New Jersey. The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit upholding the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers.

“Hackensack Meridian Health is committed to providing exceptional, compassionate, safe care,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, chief executive officer of Hackensack Meridian Health. "This recognition from The Leapfrog Group underscores that our hospitals are the safest in New Jersey, and we are proud to have helped make New Jersey hospitals among the safest in the nation. I congratulate our world-class team members for continuing to set the bar high, exceeding industry standards, and delivering outstanding care that will improve outcomes for our patients and communities."

This national distinction celebrates the Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals’ 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. The network’s hospitals recognized by the Leapfrog Group for Spring 2023 include:

• Bayshore Medical Center — A
• Hackensack University Medical Center — A
• Jersey Shore University Medical Center — A
• Mountainside Medical Center — A
• Ocean University Medical Center — A
• Old Bridge Medical Center — A
• Palisades Medical Center — A
• Raritan Bay Medical Center — A
• Riverview Medical Center — A

“Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals are among the safest in New Jersey and the nation,” said Jose Azar, M.D., executive vice president and chief quality officer for Hackensack Meridian Health. "We are incredibly proud of the Hospital Safety Grades our hospitals have achieved and very grateful for our caregivers' dedication to patient safety. We look forward to continuing to deliver strong outcomes for our patients."

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 these hospitals 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 Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals’ full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.