FEATURE | Posted Dec. 4, 2014

One of America's top hospitals for quality and safety

UC Davis one of 12 U.S. hospitals to earn a third consecutive Leapfrog Top Hospital award in 2014

UC Davis Medical Center © UC Regents
The annual Leapfrog Top Hospital Award is one of the most competitive awards a U.S. hospital can receive. UC Davis Medical Center is one of only 12 hospitals in the nation to earn the recognition in each of the past three years.

UC Davis Medical Center ranks among The Leapfrog Group's list of Top Hospitals for 2014, an elite distinction that recognizes UC Davis for meeting tough national standards for safety and quality.

The annual award, widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive a U.S. hospital can receive, is given to the highest-performing hospitals participating in the Leapfrog Hospital Survey. UC Davis is one of only 12 U.S. hospitals to receive Top Hospital designation in each of the past three years.

Overall, 94 hospitals nationwide and 20 urban hospitals in California received designation in 2014, which marked the fifth time over the past eight years that UC Davis has been recognized.

“These Top Hospitals represent the best of American health care and deserve to be recognized for their commitment to prioritizing the safety and well-being of their patients,” said Leah Binder, president and chief executive officer of The Leapfrog Group.

A picture of how patients fare

Ann Madden Rice  © UC Regents"Top Hospital designation demonstrates our long-standing commitment to achieving important quality and patient safety goals."
— Ann Madden Rice
CEO, UC Davis Medical Center

The Top Hospitals designation recognizes hospitals that deliver high-quality care by preventing medical errors, reducing mortality for high-risk procedures like heart bypass surgery, and reducing readmissions for patients treated for common conditions, such as pneumonia and heart attack.

It also provides a comprehensive picture of how patients fare, what resources are used to care for patients and how management promotes safety and quality.

Top Hospitals also must have earned an “A” from Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Score, which grades hospitals twice a year based on expert analysis of infections, injuries and medical errors. UC Davis received “A” ratings during Leapfrog’s 2014 and 2013 reporting periods.

“The Top Hospital designation demonstrates our long-standing commitment to achieving important quality and patient safety goals,” said Ann Madden Rice, chief executive officer of UC Davis Medical Center.

“I am proud of our physicians, nurses and staff who contribute to our robust continuous quality improvement and patient safety efforts.”

Leapfrog Top Hospital logo
The annual Leapfrog Top Hospital Award recognizes hospitals that meet tough national standards for safety and quality.

About The Leapfrog Group

The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization using the collective leverage of large purchasers of health care to initiate breakthrough improvements in the safety, quality, and affordability of health care for Americans. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey allows purchasers to structure their contracts and purchasing to reward the highest performing hospitals.

The Leapfrog Group was founded in November 2000 with support from the Business Roundtable and national funders and is now independently operated with support from its purchaser and other members. The Hospital Safety Score is an initiative of The Leapfrog Group.

More information about The Leapfrog Group’s 2014 Top Hospital designation and the methodology used to develop the national list is available at www.leapfroggroup.org.