The Leapfrog Group, a non-profit, independant organization run by purchasers and employers of health benefits, recently issued safety ratings of over 2,000 United States hospitals. Per their website, The Leapfrog Group aims to do three things:
- Inform Americans about their hospital safety and quality,
- Promote full public disclosure of hospital performance information, and
- Help employers provide the best healthcare benefits to their employees.
By publishing their hospital safety review, the group has succeeded in informing it’s public of the current safety conditions of hospitals throughout the United States. Medical malpractice lawyers applaud the group’s aims, as well as their efforts to make knowledge regarding national hospital safety available on a large scale.
The Leapfrog Group’s Ratings
Hospitals were graded on a typical letter scale, A-F, called the Hospital Safety Score. Quite traditionally, an A was the highest mark (meaning safest), and F was the lowest (high rates of error). The scores are based on data regarding medical errors, medication errors, patient injuries, and infections. The group’s report also goes on to explain that hospital errors account for about 400 patient deaths each day in the U.S. The authors make a striking comparison of that staggering number to a large jet plane full of passengers crashing everyday.
Some noteworthy data from the report:
The Hospital Safety Score graded 2,652 hospital according to safety.
- 729 received an “A” grade
- 679 received a “B” grade
- 1,243 received a “C” or below grade
The following are well-known hospitals that received A marks;
- Academic medical centers, such as University of California San Francisco, NYU Langone Medical Center, and Massachusetts General
- Several rural hospitals, such as Baptist Health South Florida Homestead Hospital, Grinnell Regional Medical Center in Iowa
- Well known centers of excellence, such as University of Michigan Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, and Virginia Mason Medical Center
- Hospitals in impoverished or highly vulnerable areas, such as Detroit Receiving Hospital, Bellevue Hospital, and Montefiore Hospital
- Several for-profit hospitals, including a significant number in the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) system
- Hundreds of not-for-profit and public hospitals
- Some community hospitals, such as OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Illinois
Widespread knowledge of these statistics could help save lives in hospitals.
Medical Malpractice Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia
Hospital safety should not be the foremost concern when choosing treatment at a hospital. All hospitals should be safe and operate with the highest level of care and professionalism. Unfortunately, however, this is not the case. Many lives are lost in hospitals daily, thanks to miscommunication, overworked staff, medication errors, surgical mishaps, and other egregious deviations from the standard of care. If you or a loved one have suffered at the hands of a negligent hospital or other medical provider, contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys of Messa & Associates. Our dedicated team will work to uncover any mistreatment you or your family received and earn you fair compensation for your damages. Call, toll-free, 1-877-MessaLaw, or submit an online inquiry for a free case evaluation.
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