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For the 10th consecutive time, Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox has been awarded an "A" for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group. The designation recognizes Silver Cross Hospital's efforts in protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization driven by employers and other purchasers of health care, today announced the fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades.

"Patient safety is the No. 1 priority of every employee, volunteer and physician on staff at Silver Cross Hospital," said Ruth Colby, Silver Cross President and Chief Executive Officer. "In fact, 'Speak up for Patient Safety' is the first of our Seven Behaviors at Silver Cross. Earning our 10th straight A is an honor and a credit to our amazing team of caregivers who put safety first and a testament to our commitment to provide superior care to every patient, every time."

"'A' hospitals show us their leadership 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."

The Safety Grade assigns letter grades of 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D' and 'F' to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms. Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Leapfrog's grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

To see more details on Silver Cross Hospital's performance, and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.