UAB Medicine News

UAB and Highlands Hospitals are among only 10 hospitals in the state to earn an A grade for patient safety. and UAB Highlands Hospital have earned an A grade on patient safety from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a public service of the Leapfrog Group. Only 10 hospitals in Alabama earned an A grade.

The organization rates approximately 2,600 hospitals across the nation twice a year, using national performance measures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, and other supplemental data sources. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public. 

UAB and UAB Highlands hospitals received the maximum safety scores in a number of categories, including staff handwashing, computerized medication ordering and safe medication administration.

Leapfrog also reported that both hospitals received maximum scores in effective leadership, qualified nursing and specially trained intensive care physicians. Communication, responsiveness, overall safe practices and infection control were also cited as strengths at both hospitals. 

“Patient safety is of the utmost importance, and UAB Medicine has taken innovative steps to maintain the highest possible safety standards,” said Loring Rue, M.D., UAB Hospital chief medical officer. “Our Magnet nursing designation and UAB Care are just a couple of examples of our efforts that have created an enterprise wide culture of safety.” 

“Hospitals with an A designation demonstrate their leadership in protecting patients from preventable medical harm and error,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group. “It takes genuine commitment at every level – from clinicians to administrators to the board of directors – and we congratulate the teams who have worked so hard to earn this A.”

UAB is part of the national Surgical Care Improvement Project and has participated in the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network for several decades.