Here are the 9 suburban hospitals that earned an 'A' in patient safety

Nine hospitals in the Daily Herald coverage area rank among the safest in the state, according to the annual Hospital Safety Grade report released Wednesday by the watchdog organization The Leapfrog Group.

The group evaluated nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals on how well they protect patients from preventable medical errors, infections, accidents and injuries.

Elmhurst Memorial Hospital is one of only 22 hospitals in the country — and one of three in Illinois — to receive an “A” grade every year since 2012, according to hospital president and CEO Pamela Dunley.

“We're proud of our straight-A streak, but we're also humbled because we realize we have to concentrate even more and work harder to maintain the high level of safety and quality of care we provide every day,” Dunley said in a prepared statement.

Other suburban hospitals receiving an “A” include: Advent Health Glen Oaks in Glendale Heights; Ascension Mercy in Aurora; Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights; Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield; Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva; Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital; Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital; and Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora.

This marks the eighth consecutive year Northwest Community Hospital has received top marks.

“This honor and recognition is a testament to the high quality care our outstanding staff and physicians provide to our community each and every day,” Kimberly Maguire, NCH executive vice-president and chief nursing officer, said in a prepared statement.

Hospitals receiving a “B” grade include: Ascension Alexian Brothers in Elk Grove Village; Ascension St. Alexius in Hoffman Estates; Elgin's Ascension St. Joseph; Naperville's Edward Hospital; and the Northshore University Health System — Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview.

Five Advocate hospitals received a grade of “C.” They include: Libertyville's Advocate Condell Medical Center; Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove; Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Lake Barrington; Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge; and Elgin's Advocate Sherman Hospital.

“Accurately measuring this data can be challenging, and some organizations use limited methodologies that don't always reflect the quality of care or the varied factors that contribute to patient outcomes,” said Advocate spokesman Mike Riopell in a prepared statement.

The hospital group has “a robust plan in place to drive continued improvement in both safety and health outcomes for our patients,” Riopell added.

For a full list of Illinois hospitals, their grades and the reasoning behind them, visit https://tinyurl.com/2p8dv4m6/.