Health care system EvergreenHealth in Kirkland, Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue, and Providence Swedish's Issaquah campus each received an "A" grade for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog for hospital quality and safety. The grades were for the spring rating period and reflect performance primarily during the height of the pandemic.
This marks the ninth consecutive "A" Hospital Safety Grade that EvergreenHealth has earned over the past five years. For Overlake, it was its 19th “A” rating in the last 21 rating cycles, according to separate news releases from the organizations. Swedish Issaquah has received an "A" six of the last seven cycles, according to Leapfrog's website.
The Leapfrog Group assigns an "A" through "F" grade to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance metrics reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems that hospitals have in place to prevent harm. The grading system is peer-reviewed and be accessed by the public. Grades are updated twice annually: in the spring and in the fall.
"At EvergreenHealth, safety is a foundational part of our culture — every doctor, provider, staff member, and volunteer across our health system keeps patient safety as our shared priority in everything we do," said EvergreenHealth CEO Jeff Tomlin in a prepared statement. "I am especially proud that regardless of the very challenging circumstances during the COVID pandemic, we remained steadfast in our commitment to the well-being of our patients and community, and this recognition is proof.”
J. Michael Marsh, president and CEO of Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, called the recognition a testament to Overlake team members’ hard work and commitment to the safety and well-being of the community.
The entrance to Overlake Medical Center & Clinics in Bellevue.
“The pandemic presented us with extraordinary challenges, but our team time and again rose to those challenges to deliver high-quality care," Marsh said in Overlake's release. "Their dedication to patient safety has been unwavering, and this award signifies their tireless efforts.”
Dr. Elizabeth Wako, interim president and CEO of Swedish Health Services, noted in a release that its four Swedish hospital campuses across Central Puget Sound — First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard and Issaquah — were recognized with "A" grades in the Leapfrog survey.
"I know patient safety is a top priority for every caregiver. We're extremely proud of this recognition and of the dedicated caregivers behind it," Wako said.
In addition to this award, EvergreenHealth is one of two hospitals across five states (Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska) to be recognized as one of America's 50 best hospitals by Healthgrades and earn the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award. EvergreenHealth has also earned more No. 1 state rankings from Healthgrades than any other hospital on the West Coast.
In addition to its Leapfrog "A" ratings, Overlake has received Healthgrades’ Patient Safety Excellence Award and recognition as a best regional hospital by U.S. News & World Report in its Best Hospitals 2022-23 rankings. As part of Overlake's commitment to deliver high-quality care and an exceptional patient experience for the Eastside, it collaborates with EvergreenHealth in cardiac services, neurosciences and quality, and with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center for cancer services.
To see EvergreenHealth's full grade details, visit here; to see Overlake's full grade details, visit here; and to see Swedish Issaquah's, visit here. Grades for all the state's hospitals are here.
