Hospitalization and death rates may be low amid the pandemic, but for patients undergoing the long-lasting impacts of the virus, there’s still little light at the end of the tunnel. NBC New York’s Linda Gaudino takes you inside the Staten Island Univ. Hospital post-COVID clinic.
It is important -- if one has the choice -- to consider the hospital you want for medical care.
The hospital you choose generally plays a part in your risk of dying or your chances of recovery. Upwards of 250,000 people die every year from preventable errors in hospitals, according to The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit health care watchdog group.
With this in mind, The Leapfrog Group, issues hospital safety grades biannually to nearly 3,000 hospitals in the United States as a form of measuring their overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors.
Leapfrog defines patient safety as "how hospitals and other health care organizations protect their patients from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections."
On Wednesday, the watchdog group published its Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades for spring 2023. The grades, similar to academic grades, range from "A" to "F" -- with "A" being considered by Leapfrog as the safest hospitals.
Here are the safest hospitals in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, according to Leapfrog. You may want to keep this list on hand when considering where to go for medical care in the tri-state area.
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'A' HOSPITALS IN NEW YORK
- Catholic Health System - Kenmore Mercy Hospital
- Catholic Health System - Mount St. Mary's Hospital
- Huntington Hospital
- Long Island Jewish Forest Hills
- Mather Hospital
- North Shore University Hospital
- Northern Westchester Hospital
- NYU Langone Hospital - Brooklyn
- NYU Langone Hospitals
- NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island
- Peconic Bay Medical Center
- Saratoga Hospital
- South Shore University Hospital
- St. Anthony Community Hospital
- St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center
- Syosset Hospital
- White Plains Hospital
'A' HOSPITALS IN NEW JERSEY
- Atlanticare Regional Medical Center - City Campus
- Atlanticare Regional Medical Center-Mainland Campus
- Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell
- Chilton Medical Center
- Community Medical Center
- Cooper University Hospital
- Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Bayshore Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Old Bridge Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Palisades Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Raritan Bay Medical Center
- Hackensack Meridian Riverview Medical Center
- Hunterdon Medical Center
- Inspira Medical Center Elmer
- Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill
- Inspira Medical Center Vineland
- Jefferson Stratford Hospital
- Jefferson Washington Township Hospital
- Monmouth Medical Center
- Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus
- Morristown Medical Center
- Newton Medical Center
- Overlook Medical Center
- Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway
- Saint Michael's Medical Center
- St. Luke's Warren Campus
- St. Mary's General Hospital
- The Valley Hospital
- Virtua Marlton Hospital
- Virtua Voorhees Hospital
'A' HOSPITALS IN CONNECTICUT
- Day Kimball Hospital
- Greenwich Hospital
- Hartford Hospital
- Johnson Memorial Hospital
- Middlesex Hospital
- MidState Medical Center
- Saint Mary's Hospital
- St. Vincent's Medical Center Holdings, Inc, DBA
- Stamford Health
- The William W. Backus Hospital
- University of Connecticut Health Center, John Dempsey Hospital
- Windham Community Memorial Hospital
In order to compile its list, Leapfrog uses more than 30 national performance metrics from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and information from other data sources. This data, when combined, reveals a hospital’s overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors, according to The Leapfrog Group.
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On the same day that Leapfrog announced its spring 2023 Hospital Safety Grades, the watchdog group also revealed that the grades highlight an increase in healthcare-associated infections, spiking to a 5-year high, and worsening patient experiencing the pandemic-era.
the decline in patient experience during the pandemic-era.
“The dramatic spike in HAIs reported in this Safety Grade cycle should stop hospitals in their tracks—infections like these can be life or death for some patients,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We recognize the tremendous strain the pandemic put on hospitals and their workforce, but alarming findings like these indicate hospitals must recommit to patient safety and build more resilience.”
To view the rest of the hospital list and the grades each medical care location received, click here.
