St. Joseph Health Receives a ‘B’ for Patient Safety in Fall 2018 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

Bryan, TX, Nov. 15, 2018 – St. Joseph Health was awarded a ‘B’ in The Leapfrog Group’s Fall 2018 Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes the medical institution’s efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States. St. Joseph Health has improved from a 'C' grade in spring 2018. The Leapfrog Group is a national organization committed to improving healthcare quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care. "We are honored to have received a 'B' grade for patient safety at our hospital,” said Theron Park, President and CEO of St. Joseph Health. “This award is demonstrative of our extraordinary commitment to compassionate, quality healthcare and patient safety.” “Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grades recognize hospitals like St. Joseph Health that focus on advancing patient safety. This ranking provides an important resource for patients, and a benchmark for hospitals, to determine how care at one hospital compares to others in a region,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Hospitals that earn an A Hospital Safety Grade deserve to be recognized for their efforts in preventing medical harm and errors.” 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. hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public. To see St. Joseph Health’s full grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org. ### About St. Joseph Health St. Joseph Health, part of the Texas Division of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), includes a comprehensive network of over 100 employed providers including primary care physicians, specialists and advanced practice clinicians. St. Joseph Health is comprised of five hospitals across the Brazos Valley, including Regional Hospital in Bryan-College Station, home to a Level II Major Trauma Center, the highest in the region. Its network includes more than 30 ambulatory clinics featuring primary care, a freestanding Emergency Room, Express Clinics, and imaging and diagnostic services. As an active member of the Brazos Valley, St. Joseph Health is a leader in providing compassionate care as well as addressing the overall health of the community. Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit, faith-based health systems. CHI has locations in 18 states across 99 hospitals, including two academic health centers, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and Creighton University, Omaha, and major teaching hospitals; accredited nursing colleges; home health agencies and other facilities and services that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care. 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.