FORT MYERS, Fla. — HealthPark Medical Center and Lee Memorial Hospital have been named a “Top Teaching Hospital” and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida a “Top Children’s Hospital” nationally by The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization focused on health care quality and safety. The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive. Over 2,200 hospitals were considered for a Top Hospital Award, and Lee Health Hospitals are three of just 105 hospitals in the country to earn this recognition.
“Patient safety is our top priority, and we are honored to be named among the very best hospitals in the country,” said Larry Antonucci, M.D., MBA, president and CEO of Lee Health. “This year has been like no other and this recognition wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication of our amazing team. We are committed to meeting the needs of our community, and residents and visitors can be confident that they are receiving safe, high-quality care when they visit our hospitals.”
The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, practices for safer surgery, maternity care and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.
“Leapfrog is a national leader in driving quality health care and it is an honor to be recognized for our commitment to patient safety,” said Alex Daneshmand, D.O., MBA, FAAP, chief quality and patient safety officer at Lee Health. “COVID-19 brought many challenges that our health care workers have had to overcome. This recognition is a reflection of our dedicated team of doctors, advanced providers, nurses and support staff and the amazing work they do every day to provide safe and compassionate care.”
The Leapfrog Group issues its safety grades twice per year, and all Lee Health adult hospitals earned straight A’s on the 2020 spring report card. The fall 2020 report card will be issued December 14.
“Being recognized as a Top Hospital is an extraordinary feat and we are honored to recognize HealthPark Medical Center, Lee Memorial Hospital and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida this year,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “Despite the extraordinary pressure and strain of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lee Health hospitals have demonstrated an unwavering dedication to patients and to the Southwest Florida community. We congratulate the board, staff and clinicians whose efforts made this honor possible.”
To qualify for the Top Hospitals distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety, and achieve top performance in its category. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2020 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.
