The Big Picture
All five CommonSpirit Holy Cross hospitals in Utah have earned The Leapfrog Group’s Full Transparency Badge, recognizing their commitment to publicly reporting information about patient safety and quality through the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey.
The recognition reflects a willingness to share a complete view of hospital performance. Each of the five hospitals submitted every section of the survey, including optional areas, so patients, families and researchers can access more information about the care being delivered.
What’s Happening
The Leapfrog Hospital Survey examines hospital performance across nine major sections and more than 30 measures. Those areas include patient rights and ethics, medication safety, complex surgery, maternity care, physician and nurse staffing, patient safety practices, management of serious errors, pediatric care and outpatient procedures.
“Having this transparency badge from Leapfrog just shows that we have nothing to hide,” said Dena Eckardt, director of quality at CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital – Davis. “Whether it’s required or optional, we’re still putting our answers down so that the data can be available for all of our consumers.”
Why It Matters
For patients and families, transparency provides another tool for making informed decisions about where to receive care. Leapfrog’s public ratings allow people to compare hospitals and better understand their performance in areas that can directly affect a patient’s experience, including infection prevention, medication administration, staffing and communication.
The badge is distinct from a hospital’s Leapfrog Safety Grade. Rather than indicating a specific letter grade, it recognizes that a hospital has fully participated in the survey and made its information available to the public.
Inside the hospitals, that commitment is supported by daily safety practices. Teams hold huddles, elevate concerns to leadership, follow evidence-based checklists and use safeguards such as barcode scanning to verify that each patient receives the right medication at the right dose and time. These systems help turn transparency into continuous improvement.
A Culture of Safety and Humankindness
Eckardt said safe care depends on everyone in the hospital — from physicians and nurses to environmental services, food service and other support teams. That shared responsibility helps create a culture where patients are welcomed and cared for like family.
“We want to make sure that everyone feels welcome, and we care for them just as we would our own,” Eckardt said.
The Bottom Line
The Leapfrog Full Transparency Badge gives Utah patients and families a clearer look at how CommonSpirit Holy Cross hospitals approach safety and quality. By reporting every section of the survey — required and optional — all five hospitals are demonstrating openness, accountability and a commitment to continually improving care.
Patients can explore hospital ratings and safety information at LeapfrogGroup.org.