Hospitals across the U.S. ranked on patient experience. How Tri-Cities hospitals compare

What makes a good hospital? Is it the services and resources available? The doctors and nurses? The cost and transparency?

Hospitals are evaluated frequently with different parameters. The Leapfrog Group is a patient-focused organization that gives grades to general hospitals in the country twice a year. Its rankings are unique because they focus on patient experience. Some of the criteria include prevention of medical errors, accidents and infections.

Ranking reflects total scores based on the data in each category. However, some hospitals may not have data for certain categories, due to differing services or refusal to submit data.

In this most recent ranking, less than 1% of hospitals in the country earned an F grade, according to a press release from the Leapfrog Group.

National hospital patient experience grades

The states with the top 10 grades were:

1. Utah

2. Virginia

3. North Carolina

4. Pennsylvania

5. South Carolina

6. Connecticut

7. Montana

8. Tennessee

9. Florida

10. Texas

The states with the lowest scores had no A grades anywhere in the state (or district):

• Vermont

• Wyoming

• Delaware

• Washington D.C.

• North Dakota

The press release says that health care-acquired infections (HAIs) are reducing following the pandemic, after they significantly increased during COVID-19.

“Now that we have pre- and post-pandemic data for patient safety measures, we are encouraged by the improvement in infections and applaud hospitals for reversing the disturbing infection spike we saw during the pandemic,” stated Leapfrog Group CEO Leah Binder in the press release. “However, there’s still more work to be done. It’s deeply concerning that patient reports about their health care experience continues to decline.”

Washington hospital patient grades

In Washington state, 46 hospitals were graded. The top ten grades were given to:

1. EvergreenHealth in Kirkland

2. Island Health/FKA Island Hospital in Anacortes

3. MultiCare Deaconess Hospital in Spokane

4. Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue

5. PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver

6. PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham

7. St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor

8. St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way

9. St. Joseph Medical Center of Tacoma

10. St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale

Each of these hospitals received an A ranking. Only one of the 46 Washington hospitals received a D.

In Tri-Cities, Trios Southridge Hospital received a B at rank 20. Kadlec Regional Medical Center received a C at rank 25.

So, in which categories are Trios and Kadlec better or worse than the average? Based on the Leapfrog Group data:

▪ Trios did better than average in:

• UTIs

• Dangerous object left in patient’s body

• Serious breathing problem

• Harmful events

• Dangerous bed sores

• Dangerous blood clot

• Air or gas bubble in blood

• Safe medication administration

• Handwashing

• Staff works together to prevent errors

• Effective leadership to prevent errors

• Nursing and bedside care for patients

• Specially trained doctors care for ICU patients

▪ Trios did worse than average in:

• C. diff infections

• Accidental cuts and tears

• Patient falls and injuries

• Doctors order medications through computer

• Communication about medicines

• Communication w doctors

• Communication with nurses

• Responsiveness of hospital staff

Data could not be provided for MRSA or Death from serious treatable complications. The hospital performed near average in every other category evaluated.

▪ Kadlec did better than average in:

• Sepsis infections after surgery

• Kidney injury after surgery

• Serious breathing problem

• Accidental cuts and tears

• Harmful events

• Falls causing broken hips

• Dangerous blood clots

• Air or gas bubble in blood

• Communication about medicines

• Communication about discharge

• Communication with doctors

• Communication with nurses

• Responsiveness of medical staff

Kadlec did worse than average in:

• C. diff infections

• Surgical site infection after colon surgery

• Dangerous object left in patient’s body

• Surgical wound splits open

• Blood leakage

• Collapsed lung

• Handwashing

• Specially trained doctors care for ICU patients

Kadlec declined to provide data for staff working together to prevent medical errors, effective leadership to prevent errors, and nursing and bedside care, according to Leapfrog Group data. It performed near average in all other categories.