The Leapfrog Group announced the recipients of its 2021 Top Hospital awards Tuesday, in recognition of the nation’s highest quality hospitals as identified in its fall 2021 Hospital Safety Grades survey.
The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive. The Top Hospital designation is bestowed by the Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers recognized as the toughest standard-setters for health care safety and quality.
The award is not given to a set number of hospitals, but, rather, to all teaching, general, rural and children’s hospitals that meet the high standards defined in each year’s Top Hospital methodology.
This year, 149 hospitals from across the country received the Top Hospital award. California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania were the states with the most Top Hospitals, with 10 or more hospitals in each state receiving the designation. The Top Hospitals are recognized in four categories: Top General Hospitals (46 recipients, including Chilton Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Health Pascack Valley Medical Center in New Jersey), Top Rural Hospitals (23 recipients), Top Teaching Hospitals (72 recipients, including 13 from New Jersey — see below), and Top Children’s Hospitals (eight recipients).
“It takes leadership, teamwork and absolute dedication to patients to achieve this award,” Leapfrog CEO and President Leah Binder said in announcing the 2021 Top Hospitals’ lists.
The New Jersey-based hospitals that received Top Teaching Hospital designations include:
- Bergen New Bridge Medical Center
- Deborah Heart and Lung Center
- Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center
- Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill
- Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital
- Jefferson Stratford Hospital
- Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center
- Monmouth Medical Center
- Morristown Medical Center
- Overlook Medical Center
- St. Luke’s Warren Campus
- Virtua Voorhees Hospital
The New Jersey-based hospitals that received Top General Hospital designated awards include:
- Chilton Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Pascack Valley Medical Center
To qualify for the Top Hospitals distinction, hospitals must submit a Leapfrog Hospital Survey and achieve the highest performance scores in its category. The selection of Top Hospitals 2021 is based on surveys from nearly 1,900 hospitals.
To see the full list of institutions honored as 2021 Top Hospitals, click here.
