(Madera, California) – Valley Children’s has again been named a Top Children’s Hospital by The Leapfrog Group for nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality of care. The Leapfrog Group is known to set the highest standards for healthcare making the Top Children’s Hospital recognition one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive. Only eight children’s hospitals received this honor in the U.S. putting Valley Children’s in the top 3% in the country for quality and safe care.
“We are proud to be recognized again as a Top Children’s Hospital in the country as it is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our deserving staff who exceed the nation’s toughest standards and make it possible for kids in the Valley to have access to the best care available in the country,” said Dr. David Christensen, Valley Children’s senior vice president, chief physician executive and Valley Children’s Medical Group president. “This award reaffirms the unwavering efforts of our teams who have a deep understanding of the specific challenges and complexities that our patients and their families face. Together, they ensure that the best systems are in place to support and protect the individual needs of every child within our hospital walls – every step of the way.”
More than 2,100 hospitals were considered for a Leapfrog Award.
The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance are 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 the cornerstone of The Leapfrog Group’s mission,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Valley Children’s has demonstrated that patient safety is their top priority, and we’re truly pleased to recognize them as a Top Hospital this year. Congratulations to hospital staff at all levels who made this national recognition possible.”
“Achieving this award is only possible due to the incredible work of every single team member at Valley Children’s – clinical and not – because in our united commitment to delivering the best care, every role has an impact on the quality and safety of patient care,” said Raed Khoury, Valley Children’s Vice President of Quality, Patient Safety and Clinical Value. “An award like this can only be earned together.”
Top Hospitals were honored on December 5 at the 2023 Leapfrog Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C. Raed Khoury traveled to the event to accept the award on behalf of Valley Children’s.
This is the fourth time Valley Children’s has received this award. This designation is one of many distinguished recognitions Valley Children’s has received that reinforces the pediatric healthcare network’s commitment to excellence. Valley Children’s was the first children’s hospital west of the Rockies to receive Magnet Nursing designation, the highest nursing benchmark in the world. Earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report again named Valley Children’s one of the Best Children’s Hospitals in the country in seven pediatric specialties.
To see the full list of institutions honored as 2023 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.