FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Four Ardent Health Services Hospitals Earn Leapfrog Top Hospital Awards for Outstanding Quality and Safety
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE (December 7, 2021) - Four Ardent-affiliated hospitals have been recognized as Top Hospitals nationally by The Leapfrog Group.
Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and UT Health North Campus Tyler in Tyler, Texas, received Top Teaching Hospital distinctions. Hackensack Meridian Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, New Jersey, received a Top General Hospital distinction and Hillcrest Hospital Cushing in Cushing, Oklahoma, received a Top Rural Hospital distinction.
The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive. The Top Hospital designation is bestowed by The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers recognized as the toughest standard-setters for health care safety and quality.
“While all of our hospitals are committed to providing the best possible clinical outcomes for our patients, we are extremely proud of the employees and physicians at these four hospitals for distinguishing themselves as national leaders in quality and safety in their respective categories,” said Ardent Health Services President and CEO Marty Bonick.
Over 2,200 hospitals were considered for the award. Among those, a total of 149 top hospitals nationwide were selected as Top Hospitals, including:
- 8 Top Children’s
- 46 Top General
- 23 Top Rural
- 72 Top Teaching
The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, surgery, maternity care, and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication and other errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.
“We are pleased to recognize these Ardent facilities as Top Hospitals this year,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Even with the continued strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, these hospitals have demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to excellent health care in their communities. We congratulate the board, leadership, staff and clinicians who put their patients first.”
To qualify for the Top Hospitals distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2021 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.
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 forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital 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.
About Ardent Health Services
Ardent Health Services invests in people, technology, facilities and communities, focusing on evidence-based practices to improve quality care and patient outcomes. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Ardent’s subsidiaries own and operate 30 hospitals in six states with more than 26,000 employees, including 1,200+ employed providers. Ardent is committed to fair and equitable treatment of all people regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, sexual orientation or other identifiers. With a focus on quality improvement, 84 percent of Ardent facilities received a three-star rating or above in comparison with 73 percent of all hospitals ranked in CMS’ Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating (January 2021) and 85 percent of Ardent hospitals received a Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade of "A" or "B" for Fall 2021, compared to 58 percent of ranked hospitals. Five Ardent hospitals were recognized by Modern Healthcare as "Best Places to Work" in 2021- the thirteenth consecutive year an Ardent facility made this list.