New hospital ratings puts Florida at top for safety

FORT MYERS, Fla. – A new hospital ranking list puts the Sunshine State at number three in the nation when it comes to safety.

The grades were given by The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization that ranks hospital safety. The group looks at things like preventing infections and preventing errors.

In Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties, hospital ratings ranged from “C” grades to “A.” Fawcett Memorial in Charlotte County has received an “A” grade since 2012 and both NCH hospitals in Collier County received “A” grades this year as well.

Local hospitals sent us statements about the grades:

Fawcett Memorial:

We are continually focused on improving patient safety in our hospital and this can be noted in our consistent recognition with an “A” Patient Safety Score By The Leapfrog Group and by the Joint Commission as a Top Performer in Key Quality Measures for three consecutive years. Furthermore, Fawcett Memorial Hospital has over thirty quality achievement recognitions from Healthgrades, including the “Top 100 Hospital” award, recognizing the top 2% of hospitals in the country for clinical excellence.

NCH Healthcare:

“We are honored to be recognized by Leapfrog with an A safety rating,” said Allen Weiss, M.D., President and CEO, NCH Healthcare System. “Patient safety is a top priority for everyone at NCH. This achievement is a true testament to the outstanding work being done by our entire team and their continuing commitment to the many initiatives that are in place to keep our patients safe throughout their hospitalization and recovery.”

“NCH Healthcare System’s A grade is a powerful reminder of its commitment to putting patient safety above all else, and we are pleased to recognize the persistent efforts of your clinicians and staff to protect your patients,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, which administers the Hospital Safety Score. “Our families, neighbors, colleagues and friends deserve a hospital that will pull out all the stops to keep them safe, and we urge the NCH Healthcare System and all other A hospitals to preserve and renew your commitment to safety year after year.”

Lee Memorial Health Systems:

At Lee Memorial Health System we are very proud of the culture of quality embraced throughout the health system and the work we are doing to improve safety and quality of care. It is important to recognize that these scores are based on data that goes back as far as 2011. If more current data from 2015 was used, Cape Coral Hospital and Gulf Coast Medical Center would receive an A grade, and HealthPark Medical Center and Lee Memorial Hospital would receive a B.

We have very focused efforts underway to increase our pace of improvement.  Our numerical scores are very near to the next higher grade and we expect in future Leapfrog announcements that our grades will be even higher.

We regularly report our patient safety and quality metrics to our Board of Directors. Consumers who want to learn more can access this data on our website at any time.

We are happy with the progress of our quality and safety initiatives, but quality improvement is a journey with no end.

For more information on The Leapfrog Group, or for more details on local hospital ratings, click here.