The Leapfrog Group Launches ‘Innovators for Leapfrog’ Program

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By Paul Alper

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers focused on health care safety, recently announced a new resource for hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) and employers invested in patient safety called Innovators for Leapfrog. This week, Leapfrog launched a website showcasing the innovators, including products, services, and technologies that can help hospitals, employers, and ASCs meet safety standards like those on the annual Leapfrog Hospital and ASC Surveys.

Innovators for Leapfrog (IFL) was created for Leapfrog’s community of over 42,000 professionals in healthcare quality, hospital leadership, payors, employers, and other stakeholders who support Leapfrog’s work to transform patient safety in the U.S.

“Over 500 people die every day in U.S. hospitals due to preventable medical errors. The good news is there are increasing numbers of companies working to change this,” said Leah Binder, President and CEO, The Leapfrog Group. “We created Innovators for Leapfrog to help connect those innovators with the hospital, ASC, and employer leaders who are focused on improving patient safety.”

The release of the spring 2023 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade found a significant spike in healthcare-associated infections (HAI) during the pandemic. The latest Safety Grades were released on May 3 and data shows a spike in three HAIs since pre-pandemic:

  • The average CLABSI standard infection ratio increased by 60%;
  • The average MRSA standard infection ratio increased by 37%; and
  • and the average CAUTI standard infection ratio increased by 19%.

This shows now is a critical time for hospitals and ASCs to evaluate the latest innovations in technology, products, and services designed to reduce the risk of infections and make health care safer for patients.

Companies with innovations that have been shown to help improve performance, reduce risk of infections, and improve overall safety have been signing up in advance of the launch.

The new Innovators for Leapfrog website features products and services in seven categories:

  • Employee Benefits Solutions
  • Environmental Care
  • Hand Hygiene
  • Infection Control
  • Patient Care and Safety
  • Technology and Data
  • Workforce Engagement

Charter members of the IFL include BioVigil, Care.AI, Centrak, Ecolab, GOJO Industries (the maker of PURELL), Intelligent Observation, Medisolv, Medline Industries, Nevoa, Inc., Nozin, RENSAIR, SureWash, Surfacide, and SwipeSense (part of SCJ Professional).

Companies with innovations aimed to help meet the challenges faced by today’s hospitals and ASCs have joined IFL in advance of the launch. Here’s what leaders of charter member organizations had to say about IFL:

  • “We are honored to join Innovators for Leapfrog and this community that shares our mission to improve quality and safety of health care in the United States,” said Zahid Butt, MD, FACG, Founder and CEO, Medisolv.
  • “We are proud to be part of the Innovators of Leapfrog because we share the same mission of making hospitals safer for patients,” said Katie Treptow, MBA, Senior Director of Marketing, Medline.
  • “We’re thrilled to partner with Leapfrog through the Innovators for Leapfrog program,” says Frederik Hendriksen, co-founder at Rensair, a longstanding supporter of the organization.
  • “At Surfacide, our mission is to provide innovative, evidence-based infection prevention and environmental disinfection solutions that prioritize patient safety, quality and transparency,” said Gunner Lyslo, Founder and CEO of Surfacide.

While The Leapfrog Group does not authorize, endorse, or sponsor the products, services and technology showcased in the IFL, Leapfrog encourages users to explore these offerings that support Leapfrog’s mission of making giant leaps for patient safety.

For more information about the Innovators for Leapfrog, including details on how you can list your company’s innovations, please contact Paul Alper, Senior Advisor, at palper@leapfrog-group.org.

About The Leapfrog Group

Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. For more, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter.