Silver Cross Earns 'Triple Crown' Of Healthcare Awards

NEW LENOX, IL — After it was named to Fortune/IBM Watson Health Top 100 Hospitals ranking earlier this week, Silver Cross Hospital has also learned it has earned a 5-star rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and an 'A' for patient safety by the Leapfrog Group.

Silver Cross said its “triple crown” for healthcare is not only a first for the 300-bed hospital in New Lenox, it’s an exclusive group overall – with fewer than a handful of hospitals across the entire U.S. achieving this level of excellence in patient safety, patient care, patient outcomes and patient experience, according to a release.

Earlier this week, Silver Cross was one of only five hospitals in Illinois named to the 100 Top Hospitals list from Fortune/IBM Watson Health. On Wednesday, the hospital said it learned of its second CMS 5-star rating, and on Thursday, the Leapfrog Group announced the hospital had earned its 13th straight A for patient safety.

“What a proud and historic moment for Silver Cross Hospital,” President/CEO Ruth Colby said in a release. “To achieve this level of distinction is truly extraordinary and a testament to the dedication of our entire Silver Cross team of employees, physicians and volunteers. Despite the challenges of the past year, they never lost sight of what really matters: delivering an unrivaled experience to every patient every time.”

According to the hospital, the CMS 5-star rating is based off a variety of measures across seven areas of quality: including mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, effectiveness of care, timeliness of care, and efficient use of medical imaging.

“Silver Cross Hospital continues to shine bright as a community hospital, but their commitment to patient safety and patient care truly makes them one on the nation’s best, as evidenced by these three national awards for excellence,” Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings said in a release. “We are so fortunate to have this amazing healthcare organization close to home.”

The A grade from the Leapfrog Group recognizes the hospital’s achievements protecting patients from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections, the hospital said. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to all general hospitals across the country and is updated every six months.

“We are so grateful and proud to have Silver Cross Hospital in Will County,” Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said in a release. “Their leadership and staff have been nothing short of incredible this year as they not only faced a pandemic, they became an amazing vaccine partner and continued to raise the bar on patient care. Congratulations to all!”

“It’s my pleasure to congratulate Silver Cross Hospital on these remarkable and unprecedented awards for excellence in patient safety and patient care,” said New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann. “We’ve all seen over the last year just how important it is to have quality healthcare in our area and as the Mayor of this community, I couldn’t be more proud of Silver Cross. They’ve brought nationally recognized healthcare to New Lenox.”