Did your hospital get an A or an F?
Sibley Memorial Hospital now has an A. Howard University Hospital still has an F. And several hospitals in Maryland and Virginia now have higher or lower grades.
Overall, Virginia has some of the best hospitals in the country and D.C. and Maryland have some of the worst when it comes to avoiding medical errors, injuries and infections, a report released Tuesday found.
Approximately 2,500 hospitals across 50 states plus D.C. were assigned letter grades based on a range of patient-safety measures and ranked based on their percentage of “A” hospitals, according to Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care ratings organization.
The group measured improvements in D.C. and Maryland.
"In looking at Maryland over the course of these six months, it’s clear there’s been an effort to improve since they were first graded in fall 2017,” Leapfrog president and CEO Leah Binder said in a statement. “Not only are there now three A hospitals, but six additional hospitals received a B grade, having previously received a C or lower.”
"In the case of Washington, D.C., we’re encouraged residents have an A hospital in the area for the first time in five years," she continued.
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News4 reached out to the nine hospitals in the D.C. area whose grades dropped since Leapfrog released their last grades in fall 2017, plus the six hospitals whose grades improved.
Washington, D.C.
Providence Hospital of Washington: F
MedStar Washington Hospital Center: D
Howard University Hospital: F
George Washington University Hospital: C
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital: C
Sibley Memorial Hospital: A
“There is nothing more important than patient safety and we at Sibley are delighted to see our efforts in this regard have been recognized by the prestigious Leapfrog organization. At Sibley Memorial Hospital, our mission to is deliver excellence and compassionate care – every person, every time. Patient safety is the very cornerstone of that mission and the foundation of what we strive to ensure every day for those who trust us with their health,” CEO Richard Davis said.
Maryland
MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center: D
MedStar Montgomery Medical Center: C
MedStar St. Mary's Hospital: B
“We are pleased at the demonstrated commitment to patient safety and quality from our entire team at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital and will continue to strive for the highest quality care possible for our patients and community,” hospital spokeswoman Holly Meyer said in a statement.
University of Maryland Prince George's Hospital Center: D
University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center: C
University of Maryland Laurel Regional Hospital: D
University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Dorchester: B
University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton: C
Doctors Community Hospital: C
Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center: C
Frederick Memorial Hospital: C
Calvert Memorial Hospital: C
Holy Cross Hospital: D
Suburban Hospital: B
Fort Washington Medical Center: F
Adventist HealthCare Washington Adventist Hospital: C
Howard County General Hospital: A
Northern Virginia
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital: A
Virginia Hospital Center (Arlington Health System): A
Inova Mount Vernon Hospital: A
Inova Alexandria Hospital: B
"Inova Alexandria Hospital is very proud of our physicians, nurses and staff who have worked so hard to continue to strengthen our patient outcomes and patient experiences. Our “B” grade is an increase from “C” last year and is a reflection of our commitment to patient safety, continuous improvement and zero harm to the patients we are privileged to serve," said Susan Carroll, Inova Health System's regional executive officer for the eastern region.
Inova Fairfax Hospital: B
Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center: C
Mary Washington Hospital: B
Sentara RMH Medical Center: B
“Sentara RMH Medical Center is appreciative of The Leapfrog Group and its ratings. Our staff and physicians are always striving to improve in all areas of patient care, and safety is one of our top priorities. While we recognize there is always room for improvement, our hospital has a strong, established record of patient safety,” Susan McDonald, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs, said in a statement.
Reston Hospital Center: C
A spokeswoman said the hospital didn't have a comment.
Inova Loudoun Hospital: A
Fauquier Hospital: A
Stafford Hospital: A
Novant Health UVA Health System Culpeper Medical Center: B
"Patient safety is the top priority for Novant Health UVA Health System.
We make significant efforts to provide safe, quality care to our patients and believe it is important for hospitals to be transparent with their quality and safety information so that patients are better informed. There are multiple hospital care rating systems and each has its own merit. Based on the results of these ratings, we examine our care practices to determine what, if any, changes should be made.
On an ongoing basis, Novant Health UVA Health System physicians and clinical staff analyze our hospital acquired conditions, patient safety indicators, hospital-acquired infections, safe practice measures and patient communications to identify opportunities for improvement.
We remain dedicated to implementing new strategies to directly address patient safety and patient satisfaction," a hospital spokeswoman said in a statement.
Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center: B
A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center spokeswoman said the hospital didn't have a comment.
Winchester Medical Center: A
The biannual 2018 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades report shows 30 percent of hospitals graded earned an A, 28 percent earned a B, 35 percent a C, six percent a D and one percent an F. Go here to see the full rankings.
Additionally, 46 hospitals achieved an A grade for the first time since Leapfrog first began issuing grades in 2012, and 89 hospitals that received an A had at one point received a D or F.
"The national numbers on death and harm in hospitals have alarmed us for decades. What we see in the new round of Safety Grades are signs of many hospitals making significant improvements in their patient safety record," Binder said in a statement. "Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades have definitely spurred these improvement efforts. But the hospitals achieving new milestones are doing the hard work, and we salute them as well as the leaders, researchers and organizations fighting every year for patient safety."
The five states with highest number of A grade hospitals in the spring of 2018 report were Hawaii, Idaho, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Virginia. There were no A grade hospitals in Alaska, Delaware or North Dakota.
Hospitals with F grades are located in California, Washington, D.C., Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey and New York.
The evaluation system factors in medical errors, infections and injuries, data provided to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the American Hospital Association, and surveys compiled by Leapfrog. It is calculated by top patient safety experts and peer-reviewed, the group said.
