MADERA, CA. – Dec. 17, 2024 –Valley Children’s Hospital has been named a Top Children’s Hospital by The Leapfrog Group for the fifth time, highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality. This prestigious recognition, announced today, places Valley Children’s among an elite group of only eight children’s hospitals nationwide to receive this honor.
“We are incredibly proud to be recognized once again by The Leapfrog Group,” said Valley Children’s Healthcare President and CEO Todd Suntrapak. “This award is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our entire team to provide the highest standards of care and safety for our patients.”
The Leapfrog Top Children’s Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive. The designation is bestowed by The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers known as the toughest standard-setters for healthcare safety and quality.
Top Hospitals will be honored at the 2024 Leapfrog Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C. tonight.
“It is our fundamental responsibility to ensure the safety of the children in our care,” said Dr. David Christensen, Valley Children’s senior vice president, chief physician executive and president of Valley Children’s Medical Group. “We have worked tirelessly to eliminate harm and achieve our goal of zero harm. This award, based on objective criteria like eliminating infections and protecting against overuse of radiation, highlights our success. Our parents want their children to feel better and be safe, and that is our top priority.”
Nearly 2,400 hospitals were considered for the award. Among those, Valley Children's was one of only eight children’s hospitals nationwide – and the only in California - to receive this honor. The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, practices for safer surgery, maternity care, and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.
"Protecting patients from preventable harm is central to The Leapfrog Group’s mission," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "Valley Children’s has set the standard for patient safety, earning the prestigious distinction of a Top Hospital. This elite honor reflects the exceptional efforts of the entire team and places Valley Children’s among the nation's elite in health care. Congratulations to all who made this remarkable achievement possible."
To qualify for the 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 and achieve top performance in their category. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2024 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.
Valley Children’s continues to set the benchmark for pediatric care nationwide. For more information on our commitment to quality and patient safety, click here.