11 PA Hospitals Earn Prestigious 'Top Hospital' Designation

PENNSYLVANIA — Several hospitals across Pennsylvania have been recognized with a prestigious award from the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that publishes data on hospital safety and quality nationwide. The awards come as hospitals around the state and country see their capacities pushed to the brink by coronavirus.

All told, eleven different Pennsylvania hospitals were awarded with the "Top Hospital" designation, across four different categories. The Keystone State had the most winners of any state nationwide except for Florida, which had 16.

"This is an extraordinary year for all of us, but for hospitals, history broke down doors and barged right in," Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in a news release.

To qualify for consideration of the award, hospitals must receive an "A" grade in the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey.

Among teaching hospitals, six Pennsylvania institutions were recognized: Lancaster General, WellSpan in Chambersburg, WellSpan in Waynesboro, St. Luke's in Allentown, St. Luke's in Anderson, and St. Luke's in Bethlehem.

In the general hospital category, Butler Memorial Hospital, Lehigh Valley Hospital - Pocono, and St. Luke's Monroe Campus all received recognition.

Meanwhile, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh was recognized as one of the nation's best children's hospitals, and Meadville Medical Center made the list of best rural hospitals.

Standards considered in the award include various aspects of patient safety, success of procedures and surgeries, lack of errors in medication, infection rates, and more. You can view the full methodology online here.

"In the pandemic, we needed our hospitals to save lives, comfort families, and support communities, schools, and the economy. American hospitals were there for us," Binder added. "It is why Leapfrog holds hospitals to high standards; they are so critical to the future of our country in every way imaginable."

Only a very small number of hospitals nationally received the award: 105 total. Leapfrog's four categories honored nine children's hospitals, 29 general hospitals, 19 rural hospitals, and 48 teaching hospitals.