VMFH Earns Top Patient Safety Marks in Washington State

April 29, 2021

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health system leads the way in quality and safety in Washington according to spring 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades

Tacoma and Seattle, Washington - Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has been recognized as a leader in patient safety in Washington state with four ‘A’ grades across the system, according to the Leapfrog Group’s spring 2021 Hospital Safety Grade report.

The Leapfrog Group assigns letter grades of ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ ‘D,’ and ‘F’ to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections, and other harms. Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,700 US acute care hospitals twice per year.

“Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s strong Leapfrog scores underscore our organization’s steadfast commitment to quality and safety,” said Gary S. Kaplan, MD, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. “Our organization brings together a legacy of operational experience and commitment to high-value care that drives our progress year after year.”

This represents the 19th consecutive ‘A’ safety grade for Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, which is one of only 27 hospitals in the nation – and the only one in Washington state – to have earned straight A’s from The Leapfrog Group since the Hospital Safety Grade program began in 2012. Other Virginia Mason Franciscan Health hospitals receiving ‘A’ grades include St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, and St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale. St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood received ‘B’ grades.

“Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s consistently high marks are a testament to our dedicated team members’ commitment to patient safety,” said Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. “Particularly as we continue to manage the effects of COVID-19 while simultaneously administering vaccines, these grades are evidence of our priority to keep the health and safety of our communities at the forefront of our work each day.”

The Leapfrog Group’s ratings are updated every six months, once in the fall and again in the spring.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is an integrated health system serving the Puget Sound region of Washington state, offering access to some of the country’s most prestigious experts and hospitals that are internationally known for superior quality. With a team of 18,000 team members, including nearly 5,000 employed physicians and affiliated providers, we unite the brightest health care minds in the region to provide world-class clinical excellence at 11 hospitals and nearly 300 sites of care throughout the Puget Sound area. We are proud to be the home of Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled-nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS, and Benaroya Research Institute, which is internationally recognized for autoimmune disease research. We embrace our community’s uniquely vibrant, active culture by providing holistic, personalized and patient-centered care. We are committed to caring for the most vulnerable in our communities, including the poor and underserved, providing more than $300 million in community benefit – free, subsidized, and reduced cost health care and programs.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health was formed in 2021 by bringing together two leading health systems in Washington state. Our family of hospitals includes Virginia Mason Hospital, Seattle; St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor; St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood; St. Elizabeth Hospital, Enumclaw; St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way; St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma; St. Michael Medical Center, Silverdale; St. Anne Hospital, Burien; Rehabilitation Hospital, Tacoma; and Wellfound Behavioral Health Hospital, Tacoma.