A national health care quality group has given high marks to five New Jersey hospitals. Since 2012, these five NJ medical facilities have received straight A’s when it comes to their safety records.
The Leapfrog Group first began to look into the idea of “grading” U.S. hospitals after a 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine indicated that preventable hospital errors resulted in the deaths of 98,000 patients each year. Tragically, this kind of medical malpractice remains common among some hospitals in New Jersey and elsewhere.
The hope of Leapfrog is that the survey results will allow consumers to choose the best hospitals, as well as encourage deficient hospitals to improve the safety, quality and efficiency of the health care services they provide. For example, a hospital that receives poor grades in areas such as preventing blood clots, infections or bedsores may decide that understaffing is responsible for these dangerous outcomes and subsequently take action to increase staff size.
In New Jersey, the five hospitals that have received high grades across the board all share certain characteristics, such as being part of a larger hospital system that can provide them with greater resources. Additionally, the five “straight A” hospitals are located in North Jersey: two hospitals in Bergen County, one hospital in Essex County, one hospital in Hudson County and one hospital in Morris County.
Officials with the NJ hospitals that perform the best on the Leapfrog annual report have indicated that they are responsive to Leapfrog’s safety measures and criteria. In fact, said one hospital official, they have actually adjusted their hiring and training practices for doctors and nurses, their ways of communicating with patients, and their safety standards for preventing infections and fall-related injuries in accordance with data provided by Leapfrog.
To learn more about the survey results, view the NJ.com article, “These Hospitals Are the Safety in New Jersey.”
If you or someone you love sustained an injury because of the negligence of a doctor, surgeon or nurse, you may need a qualified medical malpractice attorney on your side. The experienced New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers at Andres, Berger & Tran can help you get maximum compensation for your injuries or illness. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation about your case.
