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DURHAM, N.C. – The three hospitals in the Duke University Health System – Duke University Hospital, Durham Regional and Duke Raleigh – each received an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits.
 
The “A” score was awarded in the latest update to the organization’s Hospital Safety Score list, which issues grades A-F to U.S. hospitals based on preventable medical errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. The Hospital Safety Score was compiled under the guidance of patient safety experts and is designed to provide information the public can use to protect themselves and their families.
 
“Providing care that is of the highest quality and safety is the primary reason Duke continues to be recognized as the leading hospital locally and regionally, and among the finest in the nation,” said Kevin Sowers, RN, MSN, president of Duke University Hospital.
 
Kerry Watson, president of Durham Regional Hospital, said: “Nothing is more important at Durham Regional than the quality of care and safety of our patients, and this recognition validates the total investment of our physicians and staff toward this goal.”
 
“Earning this distinction is important for our patients as it signifies that the quality and safety differentiators often attributed to Duke University Hospital are also present at Duke Raleigh and are fundamental to our mission,” said Douglas B. Vinsel, president of Duke Raleigh Hospital.
 
To produce a single score representing a hospital’s performance, the Leapfrog Group’s rating system uses 26 measures of publicly available hospital safety data, including data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, and the American Hospital Association’s annual survey.
 
“Hospitals that earn an ‘A’ have demonstrated their commitment to their patients and their community,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “I congratulate Duke University Health System for its safety excellence, and look forward to the day when all hospitals will match this standard.”
 
Comparisons of hospital scores nationally and locally are available at the Hospital Safety Score site at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.
 
About Duke University Health System (DUHS)
 
DUHS is a world-renowned institution dedicated to providing outstanding patient care, educating tomorrow's health care leaders, and discovering new and better ways to treat disease through biomedical research. In addition to the three hospitals, DUHS includes a network of community and specialty doctor practices throughout North Carolina. In 2012, Duke University Hospital, the health system’s flagship hospital, is ranked in the top 10 nationally and No. 1 in North Carolina and the Triangle by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine ranked Durham Regional No. 5 among North Carolina hospitals and gave it high performing marks in nine specialties. Duke Raleigh was ranked No. 15 in the state by U.S. News and received high performing status in four specialties.
 
About The Leapfrog Group
 
The Leapfrog Group (www.leapfroggroup.org) is a national nonprofit organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality, and affordability of health care for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals. The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 with support from the Business Roundtable and national funders, and is now independently operated with support from its purchaser and other members.