The nonprofit Leapfrog Group recently released its Fall 2018 Hospital Safety Grades, and things did not look good for New York City hospitals. The rating system is based on entirely how safe hospitals keep their patients from injuries, accidents, infections, and errors. Leapfrog releases safety ratings twice a year, in the fall and the spring.
Overall New York State ranked 46 out of 50 with only a little over 8% of hospitals receiving an A ranking. New York City hospitals performed poorly with more than 50% of the facilities earning a C ranking and only 3 area hospitals receiving an A or B rating.
The Good News
Two New York City hospitals received A grades for safety. NYC Health and Hospitals—Metropolitan in Manhattan took the top grade. The Brooklyn Hospital Center also received A grade. These hospitals demonstrated a commitment to patient safety. In addition, New York—Presbyterian in Queens earned a B grade.
The Bad News
Four area hospitals received a failing grade for patient safety. Those hospitals include:
- NYC Health and Hospitals—Elmhurst in Queens—this hospital performed well below average (and among the worst of all hospitals in the country) when it came to the rate of blood infections. The hospital also scored below average in rates of surgical wounds splitting open, collapsed lungs, dangerous blood clots, and safe medication administration. Communication issues were also demonstrated.
- Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn—this hospital tied with another Brooklyn hospital for the worst rate of dangerous bed sores. The hospital also received low scores for dangerous medication administration and poor communication between personnel and with patients.
- Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn–this hospital was the worst hospital in the country for the rate of MRSA infection and tied for the worst for dangerous bedsores even though they were found to have an adequate number of qualified nurses. The hospital also ranked low in communication issues and safe medication administration.
- John’s Episcopal Hospital in Queens—this hospital scored well below average when it came to problems with surgery, earning the lowest score for dangerous objects left in a patient’s body. The hospital also had problems with infections and communication.
It is clear that New York City hospitals as a whole have a long way to go to improve conditions that impact patient safety. Hopefully, these scores will act as a wake-up call.
Contact an Experienced Attorney
If you’ve been injured due to negligence at an area hospital, you should have an experienced medical malpractice attorney evaluate your case. At Bonina & Bonina, P.C., we have over 50 years of experience helping injured New Yorkers. Contact us onlineor call us at 1-888-MEDLAW1 to schedule your free consultation. Home and hospital visits are available. Se habla español.