SIOUX CITY, Iowa — It's a hot button topic for legislators every year and law enforcement officials across the nation are cracking down on people using their cell phones behind the wheel.

3,166 people were killed in the United States in 2017 because of a distracted driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

That's about 9 people every day.

Many of those distractions come from cell phones and other handheld electronic devices.

Now while no state completely bans all phones for all drivers, each state has its own laws when it comes to using them behind the wheel.

In Iowa, if you are under 18 it is illegal for you to use any handheld device and while those who are over the age of 18 can use their phone, texting in all forms is banned.

"So basically it's all centered around a hand-held electronic device which would typically be like a cell phone, an iPad or something like that and the idea is that you can't write, send or view an electronic message while you're driving," said Sioux City Police Officer Andrew Dutler.

From phone calls, music, maps and yes texting, n estimated 176 million people who have access to some sort of wireless service use their phones while they drive.

Law enforcement and our elected officials aren't the only ones working to put an end to distracted driving, app developers are as well, offering incentives to those who keep their cell phone locked while their car is in motion.

OnMyWay is a free app that any smartphone user can download. This app pays you a few cents for every mile you travel without texting and driving.

Officer Dutler said an app like OnMyWay could go along way in keeping drivers off their phones, saying "I think any time you incentivize something, especially monetarily with money, I think it could go quite a long ways. Whether or not it would curtail cell phone usage in cars, I don't know, I guess we'll find out but anything that may help or is designed to help we appreciate."
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An App like OnMyWay is just one example of an incentive to stay off your phone when you put your foot on the pedal. There are other apps and devices that work to a similar effect. Some insurance companies even offer discounts for safe driving. Whatever way you choose, just be sure to always drive safely.

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Hospital safety is an important part of patient care. From proper medication distribution to infections, communication between medical staff and problems in surgery, there are any number of ways a medical facility can put a patient's safety at risk.

The Leapfrog Group is a national non-profit organization created by healthcare professionals to make giant leaps forward in the safety and quality of U.S. hospitals and healthcare. They, in turn, have created HospitalSafetyGrade.org, a consumer-friendly website where people can see what “grades” their hospitals have received.

These grades are much like the grades you received as a student. A panel of medical professionals analyzes the public and provided data on several different factors, like the ones listed above, and determine a letter grade for 2,500 hospitals across the nation. These grades are released every Spring and Fall.

Back in September, we took a closer look at the Spring grades for Sioux City’s two hospitals, MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center and UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s. You can read more about those grades here.

Both hospitals received “C” grades in the Spring. They also each kept that grade in the most recent Fall grades.

Now, while that may seem alarming, there is more to the grade than just the letter. Consumers who visit the website can see how each hospital compares to the lowest-ranking hospital as well as the national average for each factor that is measured.

But how do MercyOne and St. Luke’s stack up? Let’s break it all down.

MERCYONE SIOUXLAND MEDICAL CENTERMercyOne Siouxland Medical Center made some big improvements from Spring to Fall, but there were also a few areas where they lost some ground.

Biggest Improvement:
Surgical site infection after colon surgery: (HSG Definition) This infection happens after surgery in the part of the colon where the surgery took place. These infections can be very serious and may spread throughout the body. A patient with this type of infection often faces a long recovery in the ICU. Some people even die from the infection.

• Fall ’19 – 0.357
• Spring ’19 - 1.069
• Average – 0.839
• Worst – 2.922
• Best – 0.000

MRSA Infection: (HSG Definition) Staph bacteria are common in hospitals, but Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to (cannot be killed by) many antibiotics. MRSA can be found in bed linens or medical equipment and can be spread if providers do not properly wash their hands between patients. MRSA can cause life-threatening bloodstream infections, pneumonia, and surgical site infections.

• Fall ’19 – 0.419
• Spring ’19 – 1.122
• Average – 0.840
• Worst – 3.265
• Best – 0.000

Track and reduce risks to patients: (HSG Definition) Hospitals should be aware of all potential errors that could harm patients. Hospital leaders should evaluate their hospital’s record of past errors to prevent the same error from happening again. If all hospital staff is aware of safety risks, they can work together and take all possible action to prevent harm.

• Fall ’19 – 100.00 (Perfect Score)
• Spring ’19 – 90.91
• Average – 97.05
• Worst – 0.00
• Best – 100.00

Biggest Declines:
Along with some improvements, MercyOne also saw a handful of declines from Spring to Fall.

Infection in the urinary tract: (HSG Definition) If a patient is in the hospital, he or she may require a urinary catheter. Patients with catheters are at risk for developing a dangerous infection in the urinary tract. These serious infections can lead to other complications, increase recovery time, and can often lead to death.

• Fall ’19 – 0.327
• Spring ’19 – 0.166
• Average – 0.719
• Worst – 2.849
• Best – 0.000

*This was one of MercyOne’s biggest decrease in scores from Spring to Fall, but their data here is still well below the national average.

Death from treatable serious complications: (HSG Definition) Sometimes after surgery, patients can develop serious complications while they are in the hospital. They might catch pneumonia, have a heart attack, or lose function in their kidneys or liver. These problems are serious but can be treated by a good hospital team. If the hospital doesn’t manage the patient’s complications correctly, the patient could die.

• Fall ’19 – 179.03
• Spring ’19 – 155.02
• Average – 162.89
• Worst – 215.45
• Best – 91.71

Overall: Looking at MercyOne’s Fall grade as a whole, there are a number of positive changes. Overall, data shows that MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center provides excellent medical care.
UNITYPOINT HEALTH-ST LUKE’SMuch like MercyOne, UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s made some big improvements from Spring to Fall, but there were also a few areas where they lost some ground.

Biggest Improvements
Infection in the blood: (HSG Definition) If a patient is in the hospital, he or she may be given a central line (a tube inserted into the body to deliver medication and other treatments). Patients with a central line are at high risk for developing a dangerous infection in the blood. These serious infections can lead to other complications, increase recovery time, and can often lead to death.

• Fall ’19 – 0.708
• Spring ’19 – 1.070
• Average – 0.726
• Worst – 2.952
• Best – 0.000

Safe medication administration: (HSG Definition) Using barcodes on medications, nurses can scan the medication and then the patient’s ID bracelet to make sure the patient is receiving the right medications. If the bar codes do not match, this signals there is an error, giving nurses and doctors the chance to confirm they have the right patient, right medication, and right dose. Bar code medication administration (BCMA) systems are proven to reduce the risk that a hospital accidentally gives the wrong medication to a patient.

• Fall ’19 – 100.00 (Perfect Score)
• Spring ’19 – 75.00
• Average – 80.28
• Worst – 5
• Best – 100.00

Biggest Declines
Infection in the urinary tract: (HSG Definition) If a patient is in the hospital, he or she may require a urinary catheter. Patients with catheters are at risk for developing a dangerous infection in the urinary tract. These serious infections can lead to other complications, increase recovery time, and can often lead to death.

• Fall ’19 – 0.916
• Spring ’19 – 0.363
• Average – 0.791
• Worst – 2.849
• Best – 0.000

Surgical site infection after colon surgery: (HSG Definition) This infection happens after surgery in the part of the colon where the surgery took place. These infections can be very serious, and may spread throughout the body. A patient with this type of infection often faces a long recovery in the ICU. Some people even die from the infection.

• Fall ’19 – 1.054
• Spring ’19 – 0.368
• Average – 0.839
• Worst – 2.922
• Best – 0.000

Death from treatable serious complications: (HSG Definition) Sometimes after surgery, patients can develop serious complications while they are in the hospital. They might catch pneumonia, have a heart attack, or lose function in their kidneys or liver. These problems are serious but can be treated by a good hospital team. If the hospital doesn’t manage the patient’s complications correctly, the patient could die.

• Fall ’19 – 173.67
• Spring ’19 – 158.21
• Average – 162.89
• Worst – 215.45
• Best – 91.71

Overall: Looking at St. Luke’s Fall grade as a whole, there are a number of positive changes. Overall, data shows that UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s provides excellent medical care.

*HospitalSafetyGrade.org shows, based on the data used to determine the grade for Fall 2019, MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center and UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's made several other improvements among the 28 factors used to determine that grade. Those listed above are the factors with the biggest improvement from Spring to Fall.

How to use Hospital Safety GradesBefore you seek care from a hospital, do your research. Look up the safety grades for hospitals in your area and look through their most recent score. Are there any alarming factors where the hospital falls short? Did the hospital receive high praise in any area? Once you visit a hospital, be sure to ask questions of your medical staff and if needed, seek a second and/or third opinion.

Along with grade for thousands of hospitals, both HospitalSafetyGrade.org and LeapfrogGroup.org also have consumer-friendly guides and information for both patients and caregivers.

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