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Maryland has some of the best medical facilities in the nation. But not every hospital is up to par. In the biannual Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades Report released last week, Maryland hospitals ranked 30th across the country for health and safety. While eleven facilities received an impressive A-rating for their high standards of patient care, the majority of hospitals received average scores.
Over 400,000 people die every year due to medical errors, many of which were preventable. Hospitals have an obligation to prioritize the health and safety of their patients and even simple lapses in safety protocols can have a disastrous impact.
When hospitals are lacking in safety measures, patients should be made aware. Marylanders can take the first step in preventing unnecessary medical errors by knowing which local hospitals to trust with their health and which to avoid in the case on an emergency.
Where Maryland Hospitals Stand
The Leapfrog Group reviewed 40 hospitals in Maryland this spring, assigning each a grade based on their overall performance in preventing unnecessary medical errors and injuries. These were the hospitals reviewed and how they scored:
A Grade
- Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center
- ChristianaCare – Union Hospital – Elkton
- Garrett Regional Medical Center
- Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center
- MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital
- MedStar St Mary’s Hospital – Leonardtown
- Meritus Medical Center – Hagerstown
- TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, Inc. – Salisbury
- University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, La Plata
- University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, Towson
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center – Bethesda
B Grade
- Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Rockville
- Adventist HealthCare Fort Washington Medical Center
- Atlantic General Hospital
- Calvert Health Medical Center, Prince Frederick
- Greater Baltimore Medical Center – Towson
- MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
- MedStar Harbor Hospital
- MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
- MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
- Mercy Medical Center
- Northwest Hospital
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center
- University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton
- UPMC Western Maryland – Cumberland
C Grade
- Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital
- Carroll Hospital Center – Westminster
- Frederick Health Hospital
- Holy Cross Germantown Hospital
- Holy Cross Hospital – Silver Spring
- Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
- Johns Hopkins Howard County General Hospital – Columbia
- Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center – Lanham
- MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center – Clinton
- Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
- Suburban Hospital
- University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center – Upper Marlboro
- University of Maryland Medical Center – Baltimore
- University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus
- University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center
Some Marylanders may notice that not all hospitals in the state made the list. Facilities that are excluded from the review include specialty hospitals (children’s hospitals and surgical centers) and critical access hospitals. Other data that could be missing includes statistics on smaller centers, such as military or veteran’s hospitals. These facilities currently lack the resources to provide data needed for a comprehensive review and Leapfrog experts are working on how to evaluate these hospitals better in the future.
Baltimore Hospital Areas of Need
When looking specifically at the hospitals in Baltimore, these facilities scored fairly well. Four of the eleven A-rated hospitals in the state are located in Baltimore, as well as eight B-rated facilities. Baltimore hospitals who did not score well (six C-rated facilities) are struggling to provide quality care across multiple safety measures.
When looking at the hospitals who received a C-rating, these facilities scored below average in areas such as:
- Reducing the spread of MRSA infections;
- Reducing the speed of C.diff infection;
- Leaving dangerous objects in patient bodies;
- Surgical wound splits;
- Death from treatable complications;
- Patients acquiring serious breathing problems;
- Patients acquiring dangerous blood clots;
- Hand washing;
- Communication about medications;
- Communication about discharge;
- Staff working together to prevent errors;
- Tracking and reducing patient risks;
- Effective leadership to prevent errors;
- Having enough qualified nurses;
- Communication with doctors and nurses; and
- Responsiveness of hospital staff.
These mistakes are rarely ever intentional. Most of the time, hospitals have protocols in place to address these safety measures that are neglected or ineffective. Other times, hospitals may not have known they needed specific safety protocols and have been struggling to reduce the risks of medical errors in these areas with other failed interventions.
About The Grade
Since 2000, The Leapfrog Group has been dedicated to saving lives by reducing the number of hospital errors through education and transparency. By holding hospitals accountable for their actions, this nonprofit organization has noticeably increased hospital performance and guided facilities towards better safety solutions for their patients.
The hospital grades are derived by analyzing 28 hospital safety measures that keep patients safe from preventable harm. The measures are split into five categories for patients to compare easily, including:
- Infections;
- Problems with Surgery;
- Practices to Prevent Errors;
- Safety Problems; and
- Doctors, Nurses, & Hospital Staff.
Each measure is scored and given a below average, average, or above average marking for patients to easily compare hospitals in their area.
Become Your Own Advocate
We want our hospitals to provide the utmost quality care. Unfortunately, patients cannot solely rely on any medical facility to be perfect. Maryland patients must educate themselves on how to advocate for their health to reduce their risks of becoming a statistic.
In addition to checking out your local hospital’s Leapfrog Safety Grade, patients can take these preventive steps to help keep them safe at the hospital:
- Communicate often with your doctors and nurses to ensure you understand the plan for your care.
- Know which medications you are on and why.
- Ask questions when you have concerns and take notes throughout your hospital stay.
- Ask about the emergency plan your doctors will take if something goes wrong during your procedure.
- Whenever possible, have a loved one present as a second set of eyes monitoring your care.
- Do not be afraid to report concerning medical errors you see occurring with your care.
For more information on becoming your own health advocate, Leapfrog has a ton of patient resources to get you started.
Baltimore Winning Medical Malpractice Attorneys – D’Amore Personal Injury Law
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