Overall, the hospitals have collectively shown a"consistent pattern of better performance," saving an estimated 16,000 lives since the grading began, according to Leapfrog.
She said that for a long time, the health care community tried to improve safety, but progress stalled. The improved performance includes a"significant" reduction in the number of medical events that should never happen, according to the nonprofit. The incidence of two of those measured events alone — traumatic falls and objects unintentionally left in a body after surgery — each decreased about 25%.
UF Health Jacksonville has"unique patient populations" because of its status as an academic medical center, a challenge that was compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to spokesman Dan Leveton.