(Madera, California) –Valley Children’s was named a Top Children’s Hospital in the nation by The Leapfrog Group for its excellence in patient safety and quality of care. The Top Children’s Hospital award is one of the most competitive honors American hospitals can receive and Valley Children’s is one out of only 10 children’s hospitals in the country that achieved this honor.
“Every family who entrusts Valley Children’s to care for their children expects the safest, highest quality care. And we have set the expectation for ourselves to deliver the nation’s best, safest and highest quality care right here in the Central Valley,” says Valley Children’s President and CEO Todd Suntrapak. “This award is a testament to the capabilities, dedication and commitment of our entire staff – and is yet another reason why Valley Children’s is the best place for children’s healthcare in the region.”
To qualify for the Top Hospital distinction, hospitals must rank at the top among peers in the 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest known standards for quality and patient safety.
“Quality and patient safety is at the heart everything we do and I am proud of the superior results of Valley Children’s,” says Dr. David Christensen, Valley Children’s senior vice president of medical affairs and chief physician executive. “It requires the commitment of every single clinical and non-clinical member of our team to deliver this level of care to children in the Central Valley.”
Performance measures -- based on rigorous standards across many areas of hospital care – are considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including pediatric care, infection rates, practices for safer surgery and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors. With scores in the top 6% across the nation for Top Children’s Hospitals, Valley Children’s exceptional performance on these quality and patient safety metrics is clearly recognized by this achievement.
“We are pleased to recognize Valley Children’s as a 2019 Leapfrog Top Children’s Hospital,” says Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This demonstrates extraordinary dedication to children in the Central Valley. We congratulate the board, staff and clinicians whose efforts made this honor possible and know they share pride in this achievement.”
The Valley Children’s Quality and Patient Safety team will travel to Washington D.C. to receive this award at an event hosted by The Leapfrog Group this evening.