A study rating hospitals on safety has kept University Medical Center of Princeton in the “B” category, while Capital Health Medical Center in Hopewell has retained its “C.” Capital Health’s Regional Medical Center in Trenton, however, dropped from an “A” grade to a “B.”
Results of the bi-annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey are based on information submitted by hospitals across the country. The survey takes three areas into consideration: how patients fare, resources used in caring for patients, and leadership and structures that promote patient safety.
All of New Jersey’s hospitals earned a “C” or better, with nearly half graded at “A.” Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton was among those that slipped from a “B” to a “C.” Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick kept its previously earned “C” grade.
Hospitals participate voluntarily in the survey. According to the Leapfrog Hospital Survey website, the company “is deeply committed to increasing transparency among health care providers in order to achieve its goal of reducing the estimated 440,000 annual deaths from unnecessary hospital errors.” The Leapfrog Group was founded in 2000.
The survey is divided into nine sections, including Maternity Care, ICU Physician Staffing, Safe Practices, Managing Serious Errors, and Resource Use for Common Acute Conditions.
Barry S. Rabner, president and chief executive officer of Princeton Healthcare System, expects the University Medical Center of Princeton to recoup the highest grade in a future survey. “Since The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Scores were first released in 2012, we had received all A’s,” he said in an emailed statement. “This year, we received B’s, based on 2014 data. We believe we have made all the changes necessary to return to an A when we receive the next set of grades.”
Eileen Horton, senior vice president, Hospital Administration at Capital Health, commented, “Consumers are faced with more information than ever before when it comes to scoring, ranking, and rating hospitals making it incredibly confusing, particularly when those scores are based on shifting and different standards. As a Joint Commission accredited and Magnet recognized hospital we have numerous processes and teams in place to continually work on implementing and maintaining best practices with respect to the quality of care we provide and the safety of our patients. We place our highest focus on meeting the standards established by organizations like the Joint Commission who do comprehensive, and onsite, evaluations of the care we are providing.”
Leapfrog rates New Jersey as fifth in the country for safety. Maine has the most “A”-rated hospitals, while those with no “A” grades included District of Columbia, Alaska, North Dakota, New Mexico, Vermont, and Wyoming.