Michigan Hospital Safety Scores: How Does Yours Rank?

DETROIT, MI, February 20, 2014 (Press-News.org) Preventable medical errors kill 440,000 patients in the U.S. each year, making it the third leading cause of death. Yet, this killer flies under the radar.

Politicians have blamed frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits for the nation's problems with health care, but numerous studies discredit this theory - and fairly easily, too. Hospitals spend millions to promote themselves as altruistic businesses doing the public a great service.

The problem of substandard health care is carefully being tucked away, out of sight. Fortunately, a new publication with comprehensive hospital ratings is helping to shed light on the performance of each U.S. hospital.

The Leapfrog Group is an independent not-for-profit organization that strives to make progress in the safety, quality and affordability of health care in the U.S. by promoting transparency and value-based hospital incentives. One of Leapfrog's biggest achievements is the creation of its hospital safety score initiative, which measures the performance of each hospital on particular factors and assigns it an overall score via a letter grade.

Below, we share a few of the grades found in the report and explain why these scores are a valuable tool for patients.

The Best And Worst Michigan Hospitals

Michigan has a great disparity in hospital quality: 32 hospitals earned A grades, 16 earned Bs, 29 received Cs and three were assigned unimpressive Ds.

Hospitals on the distinguished A-list include:
- Detroit Receiving Hospital/University Health Center
- Harper-Hutzel Hospital
- Sinai-Grace Hospital
- University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, Ann Arbor

Hospitals that have an unwelcomed D include:
- McLaren - Greater Lansing
- McLaren - Regional Medical Center, Flint
- Port Huron Hospital

To view all hospital grades for Michigan and other states, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.

How Are The Hospitals Measured?

To make their comprehensive safety scores, Leapfrog researchers used data from a variety of reputable sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

They measured each hospital on 28 aspects of care, including:
- Intensive care unit (ICU) physician staffing
- Hand hygiene
- Catheter removal
- Air embolism
- Falls and trauma
- Death among surgical inpatients

The methodology for scoring each measurable is far too complex to summarize, but the researchers went into painstaking detail while analyzing the data.

Why Do These Scores Matter To Me?

Like all businesses, hospitals vary in performance for a variety of reasons. The competency of management, quality of staff/doctors and creation of internal rules are just a few of the factors that affect the quality of a hospital.

These quality scores are important because they give you a reliable assessment of a hospital's recent performance. If you are going to have surgery or anticipate a hospitalization, then it is important for you to know how hospitals stack up against one another.

While an A grade doesn't protect you from suffering a surgical error or a hospital-acquired infection (HAI), it helps you decrease your chance of an adverse event.

Hospital Negligence Has Harmed Me; What Are My Options?

Notwithstanding rankings, instances of medical malpractice occur in all institutions. Ultimately a hospital must be accountable for the harm caused by their malpractice regardless of how the hospital is ranked.

If the negligence of a doctor, nurse or hospital staff member has caused you or a loved one serious harm, then it is important to examine your legal options.

When confronted about a potential mistake, a hospital or doctor usually becomes tight-lipped and defensive. Medical professionals are horrified at the possibility of a medical malpractice lawsuit so they instinctively deny wrongdoing and refuse to discuss things.

This is one of the reasons why it is important to contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney.

A reputable attorney will listen to your story and discuss your legal options. If you want to proceed with your claim and obtain evidence, a lawyer can secure available documents, images, video and witnesses that may be valuable to your case.

About McKeen & Associates, PC

McKeen & Associates, PC, is a law firm that adeptly represents medical malpractice victims throughout the country. Based in Detroit, Michigan, McKeen & Associates has the resources, skills and experience to give your claim the best chance for success.

To learn more, visit our Case Results page or call 866-585-1076 for a free consultation with a skilled attorney.