November 7, 2017:  The Leapfrog Group, a Washington D.C-based organization aiming to improve health care quality for consumers, employers and purchasers, announced today four hospitals in Michigan have been named to its 2017 national list of Top Hospitals. The elite award is one of the most competitive honors American hospitals can receive in safety and quality. The winning facilities will be officially recognized at Leapfrog’s Annual Top Hospitals Ceremony in Arlington, VA.

This year, Leapfrog recognized 109 Top Hospitals across the country. Of those, 10 were Top Children’s Hospitals, 45 Top General Hospitals, 36 Top Teaching Hospitals and 18 Top Rural Hospitals.

“Each year roughly only two percent of hospitals in the country receive a Leapfrog Top Hospital award,” said Bret Jackson, president, EAM. “On behalf of EAM and our members, we congratulate the four hospitals achieving Top Hospital status for 2017. It takes an exceptional team to deliver high quality of care and excellent patient safety.”

The four Michigan hospitals receiving the Top Hospital award are:

• OSF St. Francis Hospital, Escanaba, Top Rural Hospital
• St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Pontiac, Top Teaching Hospital
• St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea, Top General Hospital
• MidMichigan Medical Center – Gladwin, Top Rural Hospital

“Leapfrog Top Hospitals are the nation’s role models for putting patients first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the Boards, management, clinicians, staff and volunteers whose dedication makes all the difference.”

The Top Hospital award is given to teaching, general, rural and children’s hospitals that publicly report their performance through the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and meet the high standards defined in the Top Hospitals Methodology. This includes infection rates, maternity care and a hospital’s ability to prevent medication errors, among other standards. To see the full national list of institutions honored as 2017 Top Hospitals, please visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.