Most area hospitals receive “A” grades for safety

More than half of Miami Valley hospitals surveyed scored “A” grades in the latest hospital safety report card from industry watchdog, The Leapfrog Group, which uses letter grades to rate hospitals on their performance.

All area hospitals scored passing grades on the bi-annual report card, which each spring and fall grades general admission hospitals on how well they prevent avoidable harm to their patients, including medication errors, on-site injuries, accidents and infections.

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The grades are based on a review of safety issues reported to Leapfrog in a separate annual hospital survey or to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The report card doesn’t include all hospitals because participation is voluntary.

Nine hospitals in the Miami Valley received “A” grades, three earned “B” grades, and three scored “C” grades, according to the report.

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More than 2,600 U.S. hospitals were graded for the report. Of those, 823 earned an “A” ranking. The largest group was “C” grades, with 933 ranked at that level. There are 706 “B” rank hospitals, and 167 hospitals earned a “D” from Leapfrog. Just 10 were rated with an “F.”

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Compared to “A”-grade hospitals, those hospitals receiving “B” grades had a 9 percent higher risk of avoidable death, while the risk was 35 percent higher in “C”-grade hospitals and 50 percent higher in hospitals receiving “D” and “F” grades, according to Leapfrog.

The report also ranks states for overall hospital safety based on the percentage of “A” hospitals. In the latest report, Ohio ranked No. 13 with 49 out of 112 hospital (44 percent) receiving “A” grades. Ohio’s ranking was up from No. 16 a year ago.

Miami Valley hospitals receiving “A” grades in the spring 2017 Leapfrog report card:

1. Greene Memorial Hospital

2. Grandview Medical Center

3. Sycamore Medical Center

4. Southview Hospital

5. Upper Valley Medical Center

6. West Chester Hospital

7. Bethesda Butler Hospital

8. Fort Hamilton Hospital

9. McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital

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