MANKATO — All six eligible Mayo Clinic Health System hospitals scored the highest safety marks from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization that collects and analyzes data to help patients choose their preferred health care destinations. These hospitals meet the requirements for eligibility in The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Score and earned “A” grades, the best possible, for patient safety:

• Albert Lea and Austin, Minnesota.

• Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

• Fairmont, Minnesota.

• La Crosse, Wisconsin.

• Mankato, Minnesota.

• Red Wing, Minnesota.

“We are incredibly proud that each of our eligible hospitals received an ‘A’ grade for the safety and quality of care provided to our patients,” says James Hebl, M.D., regional vice president, Southwest Minnesota Region, Mayo Clinic Health System. “The quality ranking is a reflection of the dedication and expertise of our staff who provide Mayo Clinic care close to home every day.”

The Hospital Safety Score, which the Leapfrog Group updates and publishes twice a year, uses 15 measures of publicly available hospital safety data combined with additional self-reported survey answers that hospitals submit annually. The Leapfrog Survey assesses the status of many areas of hospital practice, including:

* Electronic medication ordering by health care professionals.

* Staffing of ICUs by physicians certified in critical care medicine.

* Having structures and systems in place to provide a culture that

supports safety.

* Practices to monitor and maintain safe nursing workforce levels.

* Monitoring the proper hand hygiene techniques of staff who

interact with patients.

* Monitoring the use of bar-code scanning of patients and

medications when administering medications in the hospital.

The Leapfrog Group is one of many ranking groups that recognize Mayo Clinic Health System as a top choice for patients.