Seven Michigan Hospitals Receive Failing Grade from Leapfrog Group
- Seven Michigan hospitals received failing grades from the Leapfrog Group.
- The Leapfrog Group issues a report on hospital safety grades based on 22 evidence-based practice measures of patient safety.
- Areas of concern amongst the failing hospitals included infection in the blood, safety medication administration, accidental cuts and tears, surgical wound splits open, and death from a serious treatable complication.
Patient safety is a top priority for healthcare professionals. Unfortunately, seven Michigan hospitals received failing grades in the latest Leapfrog Group report. Three hospitals earned a failing grade of F, and four other hospitals received a D.
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The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit healthcare watchdog organization, issues an annual report on hospital safety grades.
Failing Hospitals
- DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital Grade: F
- DMC Harper University Hospital Grade: F
- DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital Grade: F
- ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital Grade: D
- Memorial Healthcare Grade: D
- Hurley Medical Center Grade: D
- Dickinson Hospital - Iron Mountain Grade: D
“These hospitals have an abysmal record of patient safety,” said Leapfrog Group President and CEO Leah Binder. “These findings are very disturbing and the people in Detroit deserve a lot better.”
Of the 79 hospitals in Michigan, the three DMC hospitals were the only facilities to get an “F.” Twenty other hospitals received the lowest possible score. The DMC hospitals are all located in downtown Detroit and generally serve a disproportionate community. 
Source: DMC Receiving Hospital
Amongst the hospitals with the lowest score, some of the areas of concern were:
- Surgical wound splits open
- Accidental cuts and tears
- Sepsis infection after surgery
- Infection in the blood
- Safe medication administration
- Sepsis infection after surgery
- Infection in the blood
- Death from a serious treatable complication
- Patient falls and injuries
- Serious breathing problems
- Lack of specially trained doctors for ICU patients
Interestingly, the seven hospitals on the list had all received previous low scores for several years.
DMC Responds
“We are unwavering in our commitment to improving patient safety and delivering the highest quality care; however, these false ratings undermine the vital trust between doctors, hospitals, and patients that is essential to achieving positive health outcomes,” DMC said in a statement.
What is the Leapfrog Safety Rating?
According to their website, Leapfrog’s mission is "To trigger giant leaps forward in the safety, quality and affordability of U.S. health care by using transparency to support informed health care decisions and promote high-value care."
Every six months, the Leapfrog Group works with experts to establish standards that hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers are measured against.
The grade comprises up to 22 evidence-based practice measures of patient safety, which rely on both data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Leapfrog’s voluntary hospital survey. Each has a numeric score calculated in the performance of how hospitals protect patients from harm and errors.
The grade is determined based on several factors, including,
- Infection rates
- Surgical problems
- Safety issues
- Practice errors
They grade based on an A, B, C, D, and F scale.
You can search Leapfrog Group's safety ratings here.
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