Morris Hospital receives “A” grade for patient safety

Morris Hospital announced in a news release Thursday that it is one of 35 hospitals in Illinois to receive an “A” on the spring 2025 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade.

This national distinction recognizes a hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients. The Leapfrog Group, according to the news release, is an independent national nonprofit watchdog that assigns a letter grade to hospitals across the country based on over 30 performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems the hospitals have in place to prevent them. Grades are updated twice annually, both in the fall and spring.

The grading system is peer-reviewed, transparent and free to the public.

The data used to calculate Morris Hospital’s grade covers July 2021 to Dec. 2024, and 32% of 109 Illinois hospitals received an “A” grade.

Kimberly Landers, the Morris Hospital Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nurse Executive said the grade was well-earned, and the hospital measures quality and safety every day, and issues monthly report cards within the organization to monitor care quality. These report cards are also reviewed by the Quality Committee of the hospital’s Board of Directors.

“Delivering quality, safe care to patients requires a commitment from everyone in the organization, from the direct care providers and support staff, to Administration and the Board,” Landers said. “Every day, our team is focused on reducing infections and complications. We have safety checks in place to prevent mistakes, and we encourage staff and providers to report safety concerns so we can address processes before they reach a patient. Ensuring that we have strong lines of communication between staff, patients and families is also of utmost importance. This is how we protect the public from errors, injuries, accidents or infections. As Morris Hospital continues to grow and thrive, we are especially proud of our entire team for their ongoing commitment to keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors.”

The full grade is available at hospitalsafetygrade.org.