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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
*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. SEE THE VIDEO:
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