Newton-Wellesley Hospital Awarded “A” Grade for Safety

Newton-Wellesley Hospital has been awarded an “A” grade for safety by the Leapfrog Group, an independent, national not-for-profit watchdog organization. The announcement was made on Wednesday.

The Leapfrog Group has a 10-year history of assigning letter grades to general hospitals throughout the United States, based on a hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public.

“At Newton-Wellesley, we treat every patient as we would a beloved family member, and ensuring the safety of the care we provide is critical to that mission,” said Dr. Yvonne Cheung, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Quality and Safety at Newton-Wellesley. “We are proud that the hard work of our employees on patient safety is being recognized and is reflected in this fall’s safety grade.”

“Patient safety is at the center of everything we do, so I’m grateful that this award is reflective of our culture,” said Dr. Gregg Meyer, President of Mass General Brigham’s Community Division. “It’s a testament to the outstanding staff at Newton-Wellesley and their consistent, unwavering commitment to patient safety – no matter the challenges.”

Safety Grade results are based on more than 30 national performance measures and are updated each fall and spring.

“I applaud the hospital leadership and workforce for their strong commitment to safety and transparency,” said Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a sign that hospitals are continuously evaluating their performance, so that they can best protect patients. Your hospital team should be extremely proud of their dedication and achievement.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has also given Newton-Wellesley a five-star rating, which is the highest rating that can be achieved. This designation recognizes superior performance across a number of quality and patient experience metrics.

The full grade details for hospitals are available online at HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

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About Newton-Wellesley Hospital

Newton-Wellesley Hospital (NWH) is a full-service, comprehensive medical center and community-based hospital providing direct, high-quality inpatient and outpatient care in the Greater Boston community. Named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades for three consecutive years, and with a 140-year history of serving our community, NWH places the patient and their family at the center of everything it does. NWH excels at prevention and wellness along with acute care and disease treatment. The hospital provides a wide range of services, including medical; surgical, including robotic and bariatric; primary care; obstetric and gynecological; cardiovascular; emergency; orthopedic; neonatal; pediatric; hematology/oncology; and psychiatric care—with a medical staff of more than 2,500 providers. NWH is a member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. NWH is also a major teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine and has established post-graduate training programs for residents of Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.