NYC Hospitals Receive Poor Safety Grades in National Survey

In 2016, nonprofit patient safety organization The Leapfrog Group conducted a nationwide survey of America’s hospitals that graded their safety records based on 30 different metrics including patient injuries, accidents and infections. The hospitals were assigned numerical scores which were later converted into letter grades. In total, more than 2,600 hospitals were graded in the survey.

While hospitals in states such as Hawaii, Idaho and Maine received some of the best grades in the survey, New York State was ranked 46^th overall. In New York City, many hospital grades were especially worrisome. Of the 38 NYC hospitals surveyed, 31 received a grade of ‘C’ or ‘D.’ Only five received scores of ‘A’ or ‘B.’

The two city hospitals which received the best grades in the survey were Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica and the Woodhull Medical Center in Bed-Stuy. The worst grades went to SUNY Downstate and St. John’s Episcopal, both of which received failing grades. The Leapfrog Group’s website notes that choosing a hospital with a positive safety record can reduce the risk of avoidable death by as much as 50 percent.

Since The Leapfrog group began conducting the annual survey in 2012, they have seen “considerable improvement” in hospital care safety. In spite of the progress many hospitals have made to improve their safety ratings, however, avoidable death rates remain disturbingly high in some places. Likewise, it’s essential that people do their research to determine which hospitals in their area have good reputations, and which should be avoided due to safety concerns.

If you’ve been injured as the result of an avoidable medical error in a New York City hospital, the experienced malpractice attorneys at Ask 4 Sam are here to help. Give us a call today to get started on the road to recovery.