This is the sixth straight period all Norton Healthcare Louisville-based adult-service hospitals have received an ‘A’ grade

Story by: Kate Eller on May 10, 2022

Each of Norton Healthcare’s four adult-service hospitals in Louisville received an “A” grade in the spring 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. This national distinction recognizes each facility’s achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital. The four hospitals are Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital, Norton Hospital and Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital.* This is the sixth consecutive period (fall 2019, spring 2020, fall 2020, spring 2021, fall 2021 and spring 2022) that the four hospitals have received an “A” grade.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems that hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

“The hard work of our dedicated providers and caregivers, who consistently deliver safe, high-quality care to our patients, and the essential support they receive from team members throughout the organization, is the reason each of our Louisville-based adult-service hospitals continue to receive an ‘A’ ranking,” said Russell F. Cox, president and CEO, Norton Healthcare. “I am incredibly proud of our team, who keeps the safety of our patients — and each other — at the center of all they do.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

“As our health care system continues to feel the strain of the pandemic, I thank the workforce and leadership of Norton Healthcare hospitals for sustained commitment to patient safety, day in and day out,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO, The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ safety grade is an outstanding achievement and one that is not possible without a 24/7 effort by the entire health care workforce to protect patients from harm. This community should be proud.”

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,700 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year.

To see full grade details for each of Norton Healthcare’s four Louisville adult-service hospitals and get patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.

*Pediatric hospitals are not rated by The Leapfrog Group.