2 Pittsburgh Hospitals Labeled Elite By National Group

PITTSBURGH, PA — UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and Independence Health System's Frick Hospital have been honored by The Leapfrog Group, a hospital safety watchdog organization.

UPMC Children's in Lawrenceville was awarded one of eight of Top Children's Hospital awards in the nation. Frick in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County, was named one of Pennsylvania's top general hospitals.

The Leapfrog Group annually doles out its annual Top Hospital Award and Top Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Award. This national recognition is one of the most competitive honors U.S. hospitals and surgery centers can earn for excellence in patient safety and quality of care.

This year, 134 hospitals earned the Top Hospital Award, including eight Top Children’s Hospitals, 36 Top General Hospitals, 15 Top Rural Hospitals and 75 Top Teaching Hospitals. This represents less than six percent of all eligible hospitals in the country.

A total of 31 ASCs earned the Top ASC Award. ASCs in nine surgical specialties are represented: gastroenterology, general surgery, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, orthopedic surgery, urology, neurological surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and plastic and reconstructive surgery.

“It is truly a joy to recognize the hospitals and ASCs across the nation that have gone above and beyond in their pursuit of excellence," Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in a statement. "Our Top Hospital and Top ASC Awards are among the most prestigious in the U.S. and deserve credit for role model performance."