Health care watchdog and advocacy group, The Leapfrog Group, earlier this month named the top hospitals in the United States. The list includes 149 hospitals — eight children’s hospitals, 23 rural hospitals, 46 general hospitals, and 72 teaching hospitals. 

Each year, the Leapfrog Group grades hospitals nationwide based on several criteria. For general hospitals, only those that meet certain policies and safety standards identified by Leapfrog as well as performance measures are considered. All of the highest performing hospitals, regardless of how many, are recognized with the Leapfrog Top Hospital award. 

Top Hospitals, Leapfrog says, “have better systems in place to prevent medication errors, higher quality on maternity care, and lower infection rates, among other laudable qualities.” (Of course, no matter how good a hospital is, it’s always best not to get there. Here are 25 quotes to get you motivated to work out.)

To determine the 46 top general hospitals in the country, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed The Leapfrog Group’s 2021 list of Top Hospitals. In addition to compliance in several criteria, facilities were scored on 39 performance measures in seven categories: inpatient care management, inpatient surgeries, pediatric care, medication safety, maternity care, outpatient procedures, and infections. (Often prescribed by doctors, here are the 25 most dangerous drugs.)

To be considered, hospitals must meet Leapfrog’s standards for administration, staffing, high-risk procedures, and dealing with reportable events. They also have to earn an A grade for safety, provide statistics for all 39 quantitative measures, meet Leapfrog’s standards for at least 60% of those measures, and embody the “highest standards of excellence.”

“American hospitals continue to face unprecedented challenges this year due to the pandemic, and Leapfrog is honored to recognize those that continue to uphold the highest standards of quality and safety with the Top Hospital Award,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “The 2021 Top Hospitals have truly set themselves apart with their dedication to their patients.”

Florida has 12 hospitals on the list, including six from the AdventHealth hospital system. The state’s population has among the highest percentage of those 65 and over of any state, at 21%. Next, Massachusetts, is second with six hospitals, followed by Virginia with four.

Leapfrog, based in Washington, D.C., was founded in 2000 to advocate for better quality and safety of American health care.

Click here to see the 46 general hospitals that received the Top Hospital Award this year

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