December 8, 2022 - Madera, California – Valley Children’s has again been named a Top Children’s Hospital by The Leapfrog Group for exceptional achievements in patient safety and quality of care. 
The Leapfrog Top Children’s Hospital recognition, awarded to only 5% of the nation’s hospitals, is one of the most competitive awards American hospitals can receive. This is the third time in four years Valley Children’s has received this award.
“The most important thing for patients and their families is to know that the care they receive is the safest and of the highest quality, and this award is a testament to the expertise, dedication and commitment of our staff who deliver that standard of care day in and day out,” says Valley Children’s Healthcare President and CEO Todd Suntrapak. “Quality and patient safety are at the core of everything we do at Valley Children’s, and has been since we opened our doors 70 years ago.”
More than 2,200 hospitals were considered for the award.
The quality of patient care across many areas of hospital performance are considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, practices for safer surgery, maternity care and the hospital’s capacity to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.
“We have always been committed to publicly reporting and sharing our own quality outcomes because this is one of many ways we ensure that kids throughout the Central Valley receive the care they need and deserve,” says Dr. David Christensen, Valley Children’s senior vice president, chief physician executive and Medical Group president. “Hospitals across the country are still recovering from the impact of the pandemic while meeting the demands of this current surge of flu and RSV cases across the country. Yet our clinical staff has not wavered from delivering the best care that kids in our region can count on. This recognition reflects the hard work of our teams who truly bring the extraordinary every day.”
This designation is one of many distinguished recognitions Valley Children’s has received that reinforces the pediatric healthcare network’s commitment to excellence. Valley Children’s was the first children’s hospital west of the Rockies to receive Magnet Nursing designation, the highest nursing benchmark in the world. Earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report again named Valley Children’s one of the Best Children’s Hospitals in the country in six pediatric specialties. Valley Children’s also recently joined an elite group of only 16 centers worldwide as a Designated Platinum Center of Excellence by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) for providing lifesaving treatment for failing heart and/or lung function.
To see the full list of institutions honored as 2022 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.
Source: Valley Children's Healthcare, Madera, CA.
