New York hospitals rank among the lowest in the nation for patient safety, according to a non-profit group. The Empire State ranked 48th out of the 50 states, a one-spot improvement from last year. Overall, almost 6 percent of hospitals received an “F” for patient safety – a notable increase from the nationwide average of under 1 percent. A total of 137 hospitals in New York were graded, according to NBC New York.
The rankings, which are released every year, are released by Leapfrog Group and rank 2,500 hospitals across the country. The grades – ranging from an “A” to an “F” – are based on the rate of hospital errors (including medication errors), accidents, infections, and the number of preventable pressure ulcers, among several other factors. Leapfrog Group ranks hospitals individually and then aggregates the data and ranks each state collectively.
In New York, these are the hospitals that received an “A” rating by the watchdog group:
- Catholic Health – Kenmore Mercy Hospital
- Highland Hospital of Rochester
- Mather Hospital
- NYC Health Hospitals
- Oneida Healthcare Center
- Putnam Hospital Center
- Joseph’s Hospital Health Center
- Francis Hospital
These are the five hospitals in the New York that received an “F” in Leapfrog Group’s most recent rankings:
- Brookdale Hospital Medical Center
- Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center
- Interfaith Medical Center
- Maimonides Medical Center
- Richmond University Medical Center
According to the Leapfrog Group’s press release, the rankings have had a positive impact on patient safety. Some improvements noted by the organization include 89 previously-failing hospitals that now receive an “A” score on patient safety and four states which have seen their average hospital grade rise from a C to an A in patient quality.
Other states in the Tri-state area were also ranked by Leapfrog. Connecticut continued to perform poorly, ranking 46th in the country – a sharp decline of 16 spots since the rankings were released last year. According to Leapfrog, only two of the 28 hospitals in the state received an “A” ranking. New Jersey, on the other hand, performed substantially better than both New York and Connecticut, ranking No. 17 in the country, which still represented a decline of six spots since last year. Overall, there remains significant room for Tri-state area hospitals to improve the safety of the patients which have entrusted their care to them.
Contact the Law Offices of Thomas L. Gallivan, PLLC if you were injured at an area hospital.
