YORK — York Hospital was one of 798 hospitals in the country to receive an A ranking in hospital safety by The Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety watchdog. The organization assigns letter grade Hospital Safety Scores, from A through F to hospitals nationwide, with A being the top score.

“Patient safety is of course a top priority. Our score of A reflects the quality of care we provide to each and every patient, every time,” said Dr. Lawrence Petrovich, chief medical officer and leader for Patient Quality at York Hospital. “We have focused efforts on safety at all levels in our organization and we are proud of our staff for achieving the highest score possible. Also, watchdog organizations such as Leapfrog rely on precise data to create these reports. Providing accurate data about our patient outcomes will continue to be a priority so that scores reflect the true care we provide,” he added.

“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 York Hospital’s full score, and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients and loved ones visiting the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org or follow The Hospital Safety Score on Twitter or Facebook. Consumers can also download the free Hospital Safety Score mobile app for Apple and Android devices.