Two Seventh-day Adventist hospitals in California again received national recognition for patient safety and quality, independent watchdog organization The Leapfrog Group announced.

Both Loma Linda University Medical Center and its East Campus hospitals received “A” grades for spring 2020. The designations are widely considered one of the most competitive honors American hospitals can receive.

“Leapfrog’s recognition of our physicians, nurses and support staff is an incredible honor,” hospitals CEO Kerry Heinrich said. “Each day, the entire Loma Linda University Health team commits to providing the safest possible environment for each of our patients. The entire Inland Empire community benefits by our organization’s culture of safety that Leapfrog has identified.”

This achievement follows the hospitals’ fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade ‘A’ award, making it the third and fourth consecutive A-ratings for the Medical Center and East Campus hospitals respectively.

The Safety Grade is a letter grade assigned to all general hospitals across the country and updated every six months, assessing how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harms to patients.

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

“No matter the situation, we are dedicated to providing top-quality care in a safe and healing environment to every patient who comes through our door,” said Jonathan Jean-Marie, vice president/administrator for East Campus. “Receiving this designation for [the] fourth time is an accomplishment that reaffirms the commitment each member of our staff has for this organization.”

Loma Linda University Medical Center and East Campus are home to more than 6,500 employees, including specialists, physicians, nurses, and support staff. Backed by comprehensive inpatient and outpatient healthcare services, employees at the hospitals are dedicated to providing a safe and healing environment for their patients.

For 115 years, starting in 1905, the mission of Loma Linda has been “to make man whole” through medical and spiritual care grounded in the health principles of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. When Ellen G. White, a pioneering co-founder of the Adventist movement, first visited Loma Linda, she described it as “the most desirable place I have ever seen for a sanitarium.” From there, Loma Linda has expanded into a world-renowned medical center that has also sponsored missions of care as well as clinics and hospitals overseas.

To see the hospitals’ full grade details or to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org. For more information about Loma Linda University Health services, providers or to schedule an appointment, please lluh.org or call 909-558-4000

This article was originally published on the Loma Linda University Health news site