For the fourth consecutive time in the past 24 months, a metro east hospital with a 100-year health care ministry in the Riverbend region is celebrating national distinction for achievements in prioritizing patient safety by protecting patients from preventable harm and errors.
OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center again has earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog, for the Fall 2025 reporting period. OSF Saint Anthony’s also received an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group during the Spring 2025, Fall 2024 and Spring 2024 reporting periods.
While receiving an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group is a very notable achievement in and of itself, especially no less than in four consecutive reporting periods, OSF Saint Anthony’s Fall 2025 “A” grade is also significant because:
- No other hospital in the state of Illinois south of Macomb, basically encompassing the lower two-thirds of the state, received an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group for the Fall 2025 reporting period.
- No other hospital in the greater metro St. Louis, MO, area on both sides of the Mississippi River, which includes Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois, received an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group during both 2025 reporting periods (spring and fall).
Zach Yoder, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE , president, OSF Saint Anthony’s, emphasizes that the hospital receiving four (4) consecutive “A” grades is further fact that patient safety is always at the forefront of patient care at OSF Saint Anthony’s. “This is by no means a small accomplishment. It takes a total mind set of being ‘all in’ from our physicians, nurses and staff of making the commitment - and then a daily demonstration of discipline - to providing the safest, high-quality care to those we serve every day,” says Yoder. “Receiving the highest grade from The Leapfrog Group for four consecutive reporting periods is validation of the diligent patient-centered work of our Mission Partners and we support the transparency about quality and safety that the Leapfrog grades provide. Our team at OSF Saint Anthony’s understands and embraces the need for continuous improvement. Our work is not and never will be finished. Our goal will continue to be receiving an ‘A’ grade because that’s what our patients in the Riverbend region expect and deserve.”
Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.
“Earning an ‘A’ Grade means OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center made a true commitment to put patient safety first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.”
Coincidentally, OSF Saint Anthony’s is one of five OSF HealthCare hospitals to receive an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group during the Fall 2025 reporting period, the others include:
- OSF HealthCare Saint James - John W. Albrecht Medical Center (Pontiac, IL)
- OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center (Bloomington, IL)
- OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center (Galesburg, IL)
- Ottawa Regional Hospital and Healthcare Center dba OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center (Ottawa, IL)
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
To explore OSF Saint Anthony’s full grade details and to find valuable tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
Just two months ago, OSF Saint Anthony’s also received national recognition for nursing excellence by being awarded its first-ever Magnet® Recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Most importantly, this recognition came "with distinction," making OSF Saint Anthony’s the 46th hospital in the United States to be recognized with this award.
Magnet with Distinction™ recognizes hospitals based on quality patient care and nursing excellence. Fewer than eight (8) percent of hospitals in the U.S. have earned Magnet with Distinction status. Additionally, the Magnet with Distinction™ program was created as a special designation to "celebrate hospitals and health care organizations that exceed scoring thresholds required to earn Magnet designation."
Receiving the “Magnet with Distinction” honor is even more impressive in the following ways:
- OSF Saint Anthony’s is one of only 47 hospitals internationally to have earned the "Magnet with Distinction" honor to recognize an "elite level" of performance, according to the ANCC.
- OSF Saint Anthony’s is one (1) of only seven (7) hospitals in Illinois to receive “Magnet with Distinction” status, and the only hospital south of Champaign-Urbana to receive this specific designation.
- OSF Saint Anthony’s is the only hospital in the greater St. Louis metro area on both sides of the Mississippi River to receive “Magnet with Distinction” status.
“Riverbend residents should feel amazing and proud that OSF Saint Anthony’s represents them in their community,” Yoder says. “Receiving Magnet with Distinction status, coupled with four consecutive ‘A’ grades for prioritizing patient safety, should make all Riverbend region residents feel secure in the knowledge that when they come to OSF St. Anthony’s, they are going to get the highest level of care. Their outcomes are going to be better because our physicians, nurses and all other Mission Partners are so engaged, and committed to demonstrating our Mission of ‘serving with the greatest care and love’ at the highest level of performance.”
Learn more about OSF Saint Anthony’s by visiting www.osfsaintanthonys.org.