HANCOCK – UP Health System – Portage was awarded their third consecutive ‘A’ in fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing UPHS – Portage’s achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization driven by employers and other purchasers of health care committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D, or F grade to all general hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections, and other harms to patients in their care.

“We continue to strive for the highest level of clinical care for our community,” said Ryan Heinonen, CNO of UPHS – Portage. “This ongoing Leapfrog A continues to validate the great quality of care our patients receive and demonstrates the ongoing commitment of our physicians and staff to making our communities healthier.”

“‘A’ hospitals show us their leadership is protecting patients from preventable medical harm and error,” said Leah Binder, president CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “It takes genuine commitment at every level – from clinicians to administrators to the board of directors – and we congratulate the teams who have worked so hard to earn this A.”

Developed under the guidance of a National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

UPHS – Portage was awarded an ‘A’ grade today for the third time in a row when Leapfrog announced grades for the fall 2019 update. To see UPHS – Portage’s full grade details, learn how employers can help, and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter and Facebook.

“I want to thank all of our employees and medical staff for their hard work and dedication to patient safety,” Randy Neiswonger, UPHS – Portage CEO said. “We’ve made many strides in quality and safety in recent years, and this achievement would not be possible without their commitment to our patients and communities across the Copper Country.”

About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.

About UP Health System – Portage

UP Health System – Portage supports a multi-specialty group of over 40 physicians, over a dozen allied health professionals and has been serving the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan since 1896. The main campus is a 36-bed hospital, a verified chest pain center through the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC) and possesses the area’s only Open Bore MRI. UP Health System – Portage was home to the first Level III ACS (American College of Surgeons)-verified trauma center and emergency department in the state.

Other services include a dedicated physician for hospital stays, cardiopulmonary, arthroscopic surgery, emergency orthopedics, sports medicine, x-ray & diagnostics, certified sleep disorder center, Express Care walk-in clinic, regional dialysis unit, pharmacy, 64-slice CT scanner, nuclear imaging, digital mammography, radiological and laboratory services, rehab, home care and hospice, and a 60-bed senior living community.