PITTSBURGH, PA - Five Allegheny Health Network (AHN) hospitals - including the network's flagship facility, Allegheny General Hospital - have earned the highest possible "A" grades in The Leapfrog Group's Fall 2024 safety rating survey.

In Leapfrog's most recent national report, which recognizes hospitals for patient care quality and safety, AHN's Allegheny General, Forbes, Wexford, Allegheny Valley and Grove City hospitals all received "A" grades. Forbes was also recognized for earning an "A" in five consecutive cycles of Leapfrog reporting, an accomplishment that only a small percentage of U.S. hospitals can claim.

The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization committed to improving patients' and purchasers' awareness of health care quality and safety. Updated and published each spring and fall, the "Safety Grade" report assigns an A, B, C, D, or F grade to hospitals across the country, based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections, and other harm to patients under their care. Grades are assigned twice annually to nearly 3,000 general acute-care hospitals.

"Our highest priority with every patient touchpoint at AHN is to eliminate preventable harm while consistently providing outstanding clinical experiences and outcomes," said Jim Benedict, AHN president. "An 'A' rating from Leapfrog is a clear indication we are meeting that expectation, and a clear reflection of the exceptional skills, compassion and commitment to patient care excellence that our professionals demonstrate at every level of the institution - from its physicians and nurses to its dietary and environmental services staff, and everyone in between."

As AHN's flagship academic medical center, AGH is a leading provider of advanced critical care and home to some of the nation's premier institutes for cancer care, cardiovascular medicine and surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, trauma care, and organ transplantation, among other specialties.

AHN Forbes, meanwhile, has provided comprehensive, personalized care to residents of Pittsburgh's eastern suburbs for more than 40 years and is home to both the community's only Level 2 Trauma Center and its only obstetrics program, among many other services and specialties. Forbes is one of only 300 hospitals nationally to earn the "Straight A" designation.

"At AHN Forbes, we are deeply committed to providing safe, compassionate, and high-quality care for our community," said Mark Rubino, MD, President of Forbes Hospital. "Earning a 'Straight A' designation is a testament to our dedicated team, who work tirelessly to uphold the highest standards in patient safety and quality."

Located north of Pittsburgh in Pine Twp., AHN Wexford Hospital opened to patients in September 2021. This is the second grading period that AHN's newest, full-service hospital was eligible to receive a grade from Leapfrog. AHN Wexford received an 'A' grade in The Leapfrog Group's spring 2024 Hospital Safety Grades report and an award from Press Ganey earlier this year for top performance in patient experience.

Allegheny Valley Hospital (AVH), a 188-bed acute-care hospital, has served Natrona Heights, Tarentum, and surrounding communities for over a century. Earlier this year, AVH completed a $12 million expansion and renovation of its imaging and radiology department. The new 8,000-square-foot imaging center offers state-of-the-art imaging technologies and diagnostic capabilities.

AHN Grove City Hospital, established in 1978, is an 88-bed acute-care facility serving Mercer County and the surrounding region. AHN Grove City maintains the only trauma center between Pittsburgh and Erie, one of 13 Level IV centers in Pennsylvania.

To view the complete list of Pennsylvania hospital Leapfrog grades, visit https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.