St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center® Awarded Spring 2024 ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from Leapfrog Group

Catholic Health’s St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center® has earned its 23rd “A” Grade for Hospital Safety from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization that measures the standard of patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. The hospital has received more ‘A’ grades for safety from Leapfrog than any hospital in New York state since the safety scores first launched in 2012.

This national distinction recognizes achievements made by St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center®’ in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors. The new grades reflect performance across nearly 3,000 general acute-care hospitals.

“This is the 13th consecutive Leapfrog A score for St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center®,” said Charles Lucore, MD, President, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center®. “This achievement is a tribute to the teamwork of our staff. They produce great care every day, consistently making a difference in the lives of our patients.”

The Leapfrog grades are the latest indicators of outstanding quality and safety standards and accolades that are the hallmarks of the institution. This year, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center® is rated among the top 10 hospitals in the region by U.S. News & World Report, ranking #6 in New York State and #6 in the New York Metropolitan Area. St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center® is nationally ranked in eight adult specialties, an increase from five in previous years, including: Heart & Vascular; Diabetes & Endocrinology; Gastroenterology & GI Surgery; Geriatrics; Neurology & Neurosurgery; Orthopedics; Pulmonology & Lung Surgery; and Urology.  It has also earned a five-star rating for the fourth time in a row for safety, quality, and patient experience from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and earned the Magnet™ designation for excellence in nursing care. In 2023 and 2024, St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center® was awarded the nationally recognized HeartCARE Center™ designation by The American College of Cardiology (ACC)—the only ACC HeartCARE™ Center designation in the region, including the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island and Westchester. 

“Catholic Health is committed to delivering the best care and treatment at the highest level of safety,” said Jason Golbin, DO, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Catholic Health. “As our hospitals earn high recognition for safety and quality, we share these best practices across all of our facilities to foster a continuity of exceptional care throughout our health care system. We want every patient we serve to know they are in safe hands.”