The question of safety in New Jersey hospitals is a constant, plaguing one. Unfortunately, many hospitals frequently fail to live up to the standards of safety. When a hospital fails to meet the mark when it comes to safety, it is all too frequently the patients who suffer the consequences. A hospital is not where you expect to be injured, especially by hospital staff. You trust healthcare professionals to safeguard your health, taking the appropriate precautions. But that’s not always the case. Hospitals are busy places with people coming and going at all hours. As such, risk of injury is not uncommon. Leapfrog Group, a national organization that provides hospital safety grades twice per year, recently released its Fall 2016 results for over 2,600 U.S. hospitals, including 68 hospitals in New Jersey.
Leapfrog’s priority is to promote transparency and provide patients with as much information as possible about the medical centers where they may seek treatment. Their survey is formulated around two distinct attributes, which contribute to a hospital’s overall performance: keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors. So, how did the New Jersey hospitals surveyed perform, and what are the implications of these grades for patients?
The Grading System
First and foremost, it is important for us to understand the key metrics that contribute to Leapfrog’s Safety Grades. The survey uses national performance measures from highly respected organizations, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All 30 measures fall within one of two categories: process/structural measures and outcome measures, each of which make up 50 percent of a hospital’s total score. According to Leapfrog, “process measures” refer to how often hospitals provide recommended treatment for a given medical condition or procedure; “structural measures” refer to the environment in which patients receive care; and “outcome measures” refer to what actually happens during patient treatment.
Process/structural and outcome measures encompass a multitude of factors that contribute to the overall safety assessment of a hospital. These evaluative factors are delineated among 5 general categories: infections; problems with surgery; practices to prevent errors; safety problems; and doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. Ultimately, the data is used to assess the ways in which the hospital treats those who walk through its doors and the policies and procedures that it implements to combat preventable harm.
How Did New Jersey’s Hospitals Perform?
Among all of the hospitals rated by the Leapfrog Survey in New Jersey, 25 received “A” grades. Some of the A-graded hospitals include: Atlanticare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Morristown Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, and Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick.
As for the 15 hospitals in New Jersey that received “B” grades, these include: Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, Carepoint Health-Hoboken University Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, JFK Medical Center in Edison, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
There were also 25 New Jersey hospitals that were graded as “C’s” by the Leapfrog Survey, including: Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, St. Mary’s General Hospital in Passaic, St. Joseph’s Wayne Hospital, St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center in Secaucus, HackensackUMC Palisades in North Bergen, HackensackUMC Mountainside in Montclair, and CentraState Medical Center in Freehold.
Lastly, there were 3 hospitals in New Jersey that received “D” grades, these include: Hackensack University Medical Center at Pascack Valley in Westwood, Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, and University Hospital in Newark. None of the New Jersey hospitals that were surveyed received failing grades.
Key Conclusions about the Report
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Report can provide critical information for patients seeking medical treatment in New Jersey, although there are some who disagree with its methods. Critics of the report argue that hospital grades are influenced by the hospital’s’ level of participation in survey responses. Others say that the safety ratings are inherently biased against teaching hospitals. There are some holes in the report, as it does not currently assess VA hospitals, critical access hospitals, specialty hospitals, children’s hospitals, or outpatient surgery centers. Ultimately, it should be included in a more comprehensive decision-making process that accounts for other factors, such as referrals from former patients.
Of course, even the most thorough deliberation cannot ensure that hospital negligence and medicals errors will not occur. In the end, patients must rely on hospitals and those who operate within them to uphold the best standard of care. When they fail to do so, the victims are entitled to hold them responsible for the suffering they have caused.
To view all of the New Jersey hospitals that were graded and access their full scores, view the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades for New Jersey.
