Rush Copley Medical Center Awarded 'A' Rating Amid Pandemic

AURORA, IL—The past year hasn’t been easy for hospitals and their dedicated workers. Beds were filled, employees were overworked, and emotions ran high as the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc around the country.

But in Aurora, at Rush Copley Medical Center, doctors and nurses proved that they could persevere despite the unprecedented odds stacked against them.

All three Rush University System for Health hospitals, including Aurora’s own, received ‘A’ grades, the highest possible, in the latest grades awarded by The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit watchdog organization.

Rush Copley Medical Center has received A’s in 18 of the 19 rounds of grades issued since Leapfrog began rating hospitals on safety in 2012.

“An ‘A’ safety grade is an elite designation that your community should be proud of,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.

Leapfrog recently announced the latest of its twice-yearly safety grades, rating more than 2,600 hospitals in the United States for their success at avoiding errors, infections, and accidents that can harm patients, a Rush Hospital press release indicated.

“Now more than ever, patients want assurance that the hospital where they receive their care is making sure that care is provided safely, and that they’re being protected from infections and medical errors while they’re in the hospital,” said Dr. Omar Lateef, president and CEO of Rush University Medical Center, which was also awarded an ‘A’ grading.

Rush Copley Medical Center president and CEO John Diederich said his staff is on a constant mission to “raise the bar” and provide the highest quality levels of care for the community.