Kenmore Mercy Hospital earns 20th consecutive 'A' Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group

Submitted by Catholic Health

Kenmore Mercy Hospital was awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for the 20th consecutive time by The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit agency that rates hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers on how well they protect patients from medical errors and preventable harm.

This accolade recognizes Kenmore Mercy as one of only 36 hospitals in the country - and the only one in New York state – to earn an “A” grade continuously since 2014.

In addition to Kenmore Mercy’s “A” grade, Mount St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston and Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo and its St. Joseph Campus in Cheektowaga earned the region’s only “B” safety grades. Mercy Hospital earned a “C” grade, as did most other hospitals in Western New York.

“Continuous quality improvement is a top priority throughout Catholic Health as we share best practices and implement quality initiatives that will help all our hospitals achieve top safety grades,” said Hans Cassagnol, M.D., M.M.M., chief clinical officer and physician executive for the health system. “As we work toward that goal, we congratulate our team at Kenmore Mercy Hospital for setting the standard for quality and patient safety in our community for the past decade, and thank all the caregivers throughout our system for helping Catholic Health remain the consistent quality leader in Western New York.”

Founded more than 20 years ago, The Leapfrog Group is an independent industry watchdog that collects and reports safety data for nearly 3,000 hospitals across the country to help consumers make more informed health care decisions. Released in the spring and fall, its biannual Safety Grade Report assigns hospitals letter grades from A to F based on more than 30 quality measures that rate how well they protect patients from medical errors and preventable harm, including injuries, accidents, and infections.

To see a complete listing of Hospital Safety Grades, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

More About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog's other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. For more, follow on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for the newsletter.

More About Catholic Health

With roots dating back to Buffalo’s first hospital in 1848, Catholic Health is one of the largest health systems in Western New York, serving the Buffalo/Niagara Region across its network of hospitals, subacute and long-term-care facilities, primary and specialty care centers, and home care agencies. Known for excellence in quality and patient safety, its care network includes Kenmore Mercy Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, Mount St. Mary’s Hospital and its Lockport Memorial Hospital campus, Sisters of Charity Hospital and its St. Joseph campus, and Home & Community Based Care Services. Along with its more than 9,000 associates and the 1,500 medical providers at Trinity Medical WNY and Catholic Medical Partners, Catholic Health integrates the most advanced clinical and information technology with a tradition of compassionate care to lead the transformation of health care across the region as it carries out its mission to reveal the healing love of Jesus to all.