Texas fell from fifth to ninth in the 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades despite 26 of the 56 hospitals in 20 North Texas counties receiving an A. The Leapfrog Group gives independent ratings to acute care hospitals in the US based on their ability to protect patients from avoidable errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.
Texas had 41.43 percent of its hospitals receive an A, which dropped it to ninth overall after 43.06 percent of the state’s hospitals received an A in the fall. Oregon, with 58.06 percent of its hospitals receiving an A, was first overall in the 2019 spring rankings.
North Texas hospitals received 14 Bs and 16 Cs, with Baylor University Medical Center moving from an B to an A for the first time ever. Researchers assessed more than 2,600 hospitals nationwide, and found that a patient at a D or F hospital was 92 percent more likely to die than an A. The researchers estimated that 160,000 lives are lost each year due to medical errors that could have been avoided.
“Avoidable medical errors and infections in hospitals continue to be one of the leading causes of death in the US,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group via release. “The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade provides Texas with useful, up-to-date information to further ensure safety and accountability when choosing a hospital.”
Locally, all four of Methodist Health System Hospitals earned an A and ten of eleven Medical City Hospitals received an A. Four of 12 Baylor system hospitals received an A and six of 12 Texas Health Resources hospitals received an A.
“These outstanding safety ratings reflect our commitment across the Medical City Healthcare system of hospitals to providing unparalleled care — every action, every patient, every time,” says Erol Akdamar, president of Medical City Healthcare via release. “Patient safety is one of many reasons our facilities are the destination of choice for healthcare excellence in North Texas.”
“Receiving straight A’s for the second time in a row is a huge accomplishment for Methodist,” says Pam Stoyanoff, FACHE, President and Chief Operating Officer, Methodist Health System via release. “Achieving this standard of patient safety is one thing, but maintaining it is what makes me the proudest. Our commitment to excellent outcomes just never wavers.”
“The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade offers north Texas employers and consumers critical information about which hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are best at protecting patients from preventable harm,” said Marianne Fazen, PhD, executive director of DFWBGH. “We are committed to ensuring that hospitals in our area offer the best and safest care to their patients. We strive to work together with local hospitals and other stakeholders to make this happen.
See the full list of rankings here.
