PATERSON, NJ, MAY 1, 2024 – St. Joseph’s Health is proud to announce that The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit health care watchdog organization, has awarded St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center with an A and St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson with a B for the Spring 2024 Hospital Safety Score. These grades mean that St. Joseph’s Health hospitals are two of the safest in the United States, providing quality care to those in need.

“These scores reflect the unwavering commitment that our physicians, nurses and all our staff share to always place our patients at the center of everything we do,” said Dustin M. Riccio, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Joseph’s Health. “We are delighted with the excellent safety scores and vow to maintain the highest standards of care for our patients and community.”

The Leapfrog Group uses an academic grading scale to score 3,000 hospitals nationwide on how well they keep patients safe from infections, injuries and medical errors, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. For the past three years, St. Joseph’s Health has been on a system-wide endeavor to enhance its safety measures, involving every department and every employee.

“Our entire team has taken a hands-on approach to patient quality and safety,” said Pam Upadya, MD, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center, and Patient Safety Officer at St. Joseph’s Health. “Our patients need and deserve the highest safety standards; it’s at the heart of what we do.”

Achieving high safety marks didn’t happen overnight. From creating safety teams to shifting long-engrained hospital culture, St. Joseph’s Health got to work for its patients. They started by developing physician-led teams, which review surgical patients’ overall medical condition before surgery is scheduled. The teams assess the risk for complications — such as post-operative infection, renal or respiratory failure, or blood clots — and then generate a plan to prevent them. The group then shares these results with patients and their families so they can make more informed decisions about their care.

St. Joseph’s has not only improved its surgical protocols, but also encourages employees to speak up if they have questions about a physician’s order, or notice something amiss in a patient’s chart, medication or even on their meal tray. “We empower our front-line staff so that more eyes are on every detail of our patients’ care,” said Michael Cairoli, Vice President and Site Executive of St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center. “These extra measures ensure that patients get exactly what they need, when they need it.”

Throughout the organization, employees are committed to maintaining their grades and also implementing additional measures to keep patients safe. “The letter grades are certainly gratifying, and send a wonderful message to our staff that their efforts are recognized, not only by our patients but also by nationally-known safety organizations,” said Janine Begasse, Vice President of Quality, Patient Safety and Patient Experience for St. Joseph’s Health. “We’re proud to have earned an A and B, but what’s even better is that we know our patients are safe when they come through our doors.”