Is your hospital safe? Read the most recent safety grades
The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization that has been offering analyses of hospitals' safety records for 10 years, recently announced its fall 2023 grades.
The grades are based on data such as infection control, staffing levels, leadership structures, use of medication bar codes, computerized physician orders, hand hygiene, doctor and nurse communications, staff responsiveness, and discharge information.
The data are from a hospital survey the nonprofit conducts and from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services information. The hospitals are then given letter grades.
Only 18 hospitals have consistently received straight A's in the past 10 years, and St. David's Medical Center in Austin is the only one in Texas.
These are the first grades that reflect what is happening in hospitals post-pandemic.
Nationally, the data saw a decrease in prevelant infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA; central line-associated bloodstream infections; and catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
One hospital in Austin received a C: Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas, the area's only Level I trauma center for adults. Hospital spokesperson Ann Howser said it "is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our patients. We regularly review quality of care, patient safety and patient satisfaction data to ensure we are meeting nationally recognized standards."
Howser pointed to a ranking by the Lown Institute, which named the hospital the No. 1 "most socially responsible hospital" in Texas and No. 3 in the nation. That ranking is based on health equity, value of care and patient outcomes.
Growing medical care: 3 new hospitals part of St. David's HealthCare $1 billion Austin-area expansion plan
What grades did Central Texas hospitals receive?
These received A grades:
Austin: Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin, Ascension Seton Northwest, St. David's North Austin Medical Center, St. David's Medical Center, St. David's South Austin Medical Center.
Cedar Park: Cedar Park Regional Medical Center.
Georgetown: St. David's Georgetown Hospital.
Harker Heights: Seton Medical Center.
Kyle: Ascension Seton Hays.
Round Rock: Ascension Seton Williamson, St. David's Round Rock Medical Center.
San Marcos: Christus Santa Rosa Hospital.
Temple: Baylor Scott & White Medical Center.
These received B grades:
Lakeway: Baylor Scott & White Medical Center.
Marble Falls: Baylor Scott & White Medical Center.
Pflugerville: Baylor Scott & White Medical Center.
Round Rock: Baylor Scott & White Medical Center.
These received C grades:
Austin: Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas.
Don't see your hospital on the list? The Leapfrog Group doesn't rank free-standing pediatric hospitals such as Dell Children's. It also doesn't rank hospitals if multiple categories of information are missing.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Leapfrog Group grades hospitals on safety
