Maryland Hospitals Have Reduced Errors
June 14, 2018
Hospitals strive to provide exceptional care to all patients. After being ranked in the bottom five of the country’s safest hospitals, the state of Maryland has taken proactive steps to improve their safety rating by reducing medical errors and preventing injuries and infections. According to a safety assessment by the Leapfrog Group, the changes have lifted them out of the bottom five, but there is still room for additional safety improvements.
Leapfrog conducts its safety assessments twice a year. As of the most recent rankings, ten hospitals in Maryland have improved their grades. However, the majority of the hospitals received a grade of C or below. Clearly, this leaves a great deal of room for improvements in a number of areas.
According to the director of operations at Leapfrog, hospitals can prioritize their efforts on areas where they need to make the most improvements. Considering the fact that hospital errors, including injuries, accidents, and infections, are the third leading cause of death in this country, this is an area where many hospitals can make improvements.
Hospital Officials Discuss Data and its Shortcomings
While safety is of course a top concern for hospital officials, they addressed the fact that Leapfrog’s data is not the most current information available, and may not reflect some of the recent improvements that some hospitals have made. They are also concerned that the various rankings that Leapfrog has published can be overwhelming and confusing to patients.
A Maryland Hospital Association spokesman said that the rankings should be interpreted in context with other information available, and not as a single deciding factor.
Leapfrog collects its data from a wide range of sources, including Medicare and the American Hospital Association. They also provide the survey to hospitals, which can be filled out on a voluntary basis. According to the director of operations at Leapfrog , the majority of the data comes from 2016 and 2017.
The following hospitals received an A or B grade:
- Howard County General Hospital – A
- Johns Hopkins Hospital – A
- Northwest Hospital – A
- Anne Arundel Medical Center – B
- Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center – B
- MedStar Union Memorial Hospital – B
- Mercy Medical Center – B
- University of Maryland Medical Center – B
- University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center – B
Hospitals with low ratings can improve their grade by making changes that address patient safety.
Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Represent Victims of Medical Negligence
If you have been injured as a result of a medical error, do not hesitate to contact the Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton. Hospitals have a responsibility to provide quality medical care in a safe environment. We will determine the cause of your injury, and if the hospital was negligent in any way, we will pursue the maximum financial compensation you deserve for your injuries. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie, and Towson, allowing us to represent medical malpractice victims in Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Prince George’s County, Queen Anne’s County, Southern Maryland, and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood, and Elkridge.
