Overlake Earns ‘A’ Grade for Patient Safety in 2016 Hospital Safety Score

Bellevue, Wash. – New Hospital Safety Scores, which assign letter grades to hospitals nationwide and provide the most complete picture of patient safety in the U.S. health care system, were announced recently by The Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety watchdog. Overlake Medical Center has received an A for three years running, ranking among the safest hospitals in the United States.

Moreover, Overlake was one of only three area hospitals to earn the distinction and is one of 153 hospitals nationwide that have had “Straight As” over the last three years. There are only three of these hospitals located in the state of Washington.

“We are so honored and proud to receive this ‘A’ grade from The Leapfrog Group for a third year in a row,” said Overlake CEO J. Michael Marsh. “Patient safety is our hospital’s top priority and this award demonstrates our commitment and consistency.”

“Avoidable deaths in hospitals should be the number one concern of our health care leaders. Hospitals that earn an ‘A’ from Leapfrog are leaders in saving lives, and we commend them and urge their continued vigilance,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.

Developed under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

For the first time, the Hospital Safety Score includes five measures of patient-reported experience with the hospital as well as two of the most common infections, C.diff and MRSA.

To see Overlake’s full score, and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients and loved ones visiting the hospital, visit hospitalsafetyscore.org.