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42 Illinois Hospitals Rank Among Safest in the Country: Report

Of the 50 states, Illinois ranked 14th in the nation for percentage of hospitals receiving that highest "A" mark

Illinois is home to 42 of the safest hospitals in the country, according to a new a report from a national nonprofit healthcare ratings organization.

The Leapfrog Group, founded in 2000, produces a report twice a year that lists the safest hospitals in the country by analyzing approximately 2,600 hospitals across the United States on 28 different “measures.”

Those measures include number of infections in patients, problems in surgery, practices like computerized medication ordering, hospital leadership and more.

Based on those metrics, the group assigns each hospital an "A" through "F" letter grade. The most recent report, released Thursday, gave 42 of Illinois' hospitals an "A" grade (see the Chicago-area list below).

Of the 50 states, Illinois ranked 14th in the nation for percentage of hospitals receiving that highest "A" mark: 38.18 percent. That number is down from the 13th spot the state held in the fall 2018 list.

In the Chicago area alone, 26 hospitals received an “A” rating. Though none received an “F” grade, five received “D” ratings and 19 were given “C” marks.

Among some of the changes from the fall ranking were Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which dropped from an “A” grade to a “B,” and Mount Sinai Hospital, which moved up from an “F” in the fall to a “D.” John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County and Jackson Park Hospital both dropped from a “C” to a “D” grade, according to the report.

Cook County Health said in a statement they "respectfully disagree with Leapfrog's methodology and resulting grade and remain proud of the care we provide at Stroger and throughout our health system." 

"There are many rating organizations, each using specific methodologies to rate hospitals and it should be noted that they are often inconsistent with each other," the statement read. "The data and methodologies used vary and tend to include varying types of administrative and clinical data, often years old and frequently limited in scope. These data sources can easily result in a misleading rating."

Mount Sinai Hospital did not immediately respond to NBC 5's request for comment. 

Here is a look at Chicago-area hospitals with an “A” rating. See the full report here:

AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Bolingbrook

AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center GlenOaks

AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale

AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center La Grange

AMITA Health Resurrection Medical Center Chicago

AMITA Health Saint Joseph Hospital Chicago

AMITA Health Saint Joseph Hospital Elgin

AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet

AMITA Health Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center Chicago

AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center Hoffman Estates

Edward Hospital, Naperville

Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, Elmhurst

Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers, Evergreen Park

Loyola Gottlieb Memorial Hospital

NorthShore University HealthSystem -Evanston Hospital

NorthShore University HealthSystem -Glenbrook Hospital

NorthShore University HealthSystem -Skokie Hospital

NorthShore University HealthSystem-Highland Park Hospital

Northwest Community Hospital

Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital

Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital

Rush Copley Medical Center

Rush Oak Park Hospital

Silver Cross Hospital

Swedish Covenant Hospital

University of Chicago Medical Center

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