See Where Summit's Hospital Ranked On Bi-Annual Safety Report

Summit NJ

11 November, 2021

1:17 PM

Description

SUMMIT, NJ — Summit's Overlook Medical Center was ranked on its safety in The Leapfrog Group's annual fall safety grades. Overlook Medical Center received an 'A' rating for the second time this year. This fall's rating is an improvement from last year, when the hospital was ranked with a 'B' for the whole of 2020 and 2019. The nonprofit health care watchdog group grades hospitals twice a year, assigning letter grades from "A" to "F" based on each hospital's ability to protect patients from preventable errors, accidents, injuries and infections. Here is a look at how Overlook Medical Center performed in the following five categories: Infections MRSA Infection - AverageC. diff Infection - Above AverageInfection in the blood - Above AverageInfection in the urinary tract - Below AverageSurgical site infection after colon surgery - Above AverageSepsis infection after surgery - Above Average Problems with Surgery Dangerous object left in patient's body - Above AverageSurgical wound splits open - Below AverageDeath from serious treatable complications - Above AverageBlood Leakage - Below AverageKidney injury after surgery - Above AverageSerious breathing problem - Above AverageAccidental cuts and tears - Above Average Safety problems Harmful events - Above AverageDangerous bed sores - Above AveragePatient falls and injuries - Above AverageFalls causing broken hips - Above AverageCollapsed lung - Above AverageDangerous blood clot - Above AverageAir or gas bubble in the blood - Above Average Practices to Prevent Errors Doctors order medications through a computer - Above AverageSafe medication administration - Above AverageHandwashing - Above AverageCommunication about medicines - Below AverageCommunication about discharge - Below AverageStaff work together to prevent errors - Above Average Doctors, Nurses and Hospital Staff Effective leadership to prevent errors - Above AverageEnough qualified nurses - Above AverageSpecially trained doctors care for ICU patients - Above AverageCommunication with doctors - Above AverageCommunication with nurses - Above AverageResponsiveness of hospital staff- Below AverageThe fall 2021 Hospital Safety Grade represents the largest set of hospitals ever graded with grades assigned to 2,901 facilities. In New Jersey, 30 hospitals received an "A" grade, 16 hospitals received a "B" grade, 22 hospitals received a "C" grade and two hospitals received a "D" grade. No New Jersey hospitals received an "F" grade. It's worth noting the hospitals were graded during a time of pressure on the health care system due to the coronavirus pandemic. "As the pandemic continues, we all have heightened awareness of the importance of hospitals in our communities and in our lives," said Leah Binder, president & CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "It is critical that all hospitals put patient safety first. Now we have more information on more hospitals than ever before, so people can protect themselves and their families." Across all states, highlights of findings from the fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade include: Thirty-two percent of hospitals received an "A," 26 percent received a "B," 35 percent received a "C," 7 percent received a "D," and less than 1 percent received an "F."The five states with the highest percentages of "A" hospitals are Virginia, North Carolina, Idaho, Massachusetts, and Colorado.There were no "A" hospitals in Delaware, Washington, DC, and North Dakota. The Safety Grades reflect performance on more than 30 evidence-based measures of patient safety, including for the first time, post-operative sepsis, blood leakage, and kidney injury.The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is advised by an expert panel of leading patient safety authorities from across the country and receives guidance from the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality. Grades are updated biannually in the fall and in the spring.For more information about the Hospital Safety Grade, including details on individual hospital grades and state rankings, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org. With reporting from Alexis Tarrazi