New York 2023 hospital ratings: How did yours rank in safety, quality?

David Robinson, New York State Team
·4 min read
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New York hospitals received widely varying quality and safety ratings in 2023 as the state’s health system overall struggled to recover from pandemic-era strains on hospital staffing and finances.

And while differences between rankings stemmed from disparate scoring measures used, experts say patients should monitor results in all the grading systems, which focus on a variety of important medical issues.

That is why USA TODAY Network New York compiled key ratings this year from a range of federal regulators and independent health care quality groups — including Leapfrog, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, and U.S. News & World Report.

Different hospital rating systems for NY

Only 11 hospitals in New York received the top 5-stars rating in the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, rankings. That reflects about 8% of the state’s eligible hospitals, as compared to about 15% of hospitals nationally that got the top score.

The entrance to F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua, New York.
The entrance to F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua, New York.

The rating system analyzes quality information on important health care topics, like readmissions and deaths after heart attacks or pneumonia.

The overall rating — between 1 and 5 stars — summarizes a variety of measures across five areas of quality. The measure groups include mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and timely and effective care.

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U.S. News evaluated 207 hospitals in New York, of which 33 met the system’s high standards designation needed to be ranked in the state.

Only 16 hospitals statewide, or about 11%, received the highest A safety grade this fall from Leapfrog, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, while 28 hospitals received the second-lowest D grade. Two hospitals received an F.

Hospital trade groups have disputed many of the rankings, citing a lack of uniform standards as well as varying timeframes for data reviews that failed to account for the complexities of health care delivery.

Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern Sept. 19, 2023.
Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern Sept. 19, 2023.

New York’s hospital safety, quality grades

What follows are ratings for hospitals across the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, Southern Tier, and Mohawk Valley.

Some hospitals weren't rated in various systems because they were not included in the review, which excludes facilities based on several reasons, including a lack of sufficient data reported to regulators.

Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira is one of three hospitals owned and operated by Arnot Health.
Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira is one of three hospitals owned and operated by Arnot Health.

Among the top 33 U.S. News ranked hospitals in New York were:

  • Strong Memorial Hospital (16) Rochester General Hospital (24) Highland Hospital (32)

  • White Plains Hospital (17) Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco (24)

  • Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown (24) Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie (29)

The below ratings reflect results from CMS stars and Leapfrog safety grades, respectively.

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Finger Lakes

  • F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua: 2 stars (D)

  • Geneva General Hospital: 1 (C)

  • Highland Hospital: 2 (C)

  • Newark-Wayne Community Hospital: 3 (C)

  • Rochester General Hospital: 1 (C)

  • Strong Memorial Hospital: 2 (C)

  • Unity Hospital in Rochester: 2 (B)

  • Wyoming County Community Hospital: 2

  • UR Medicine Noyes Health in Dansville: (C)

Hudson Valley

  • Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis : 3 stars (C)

  • Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson: 1 (F)

  • Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown: 4 (C)

  • Good Samaritan Hospital of Suffern: 3 (C)

  • HealthAlliance Hospital Mary’s Avenue Campus in Kingston: 2

  • Hudson Valley Hospital Center in Cortlandt Manor: 4 (C)

  • MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie: (D)

  • Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital: 2 (D)

  • Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck: 4 (B)

  • Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco: 4 (A)

  • Montefiore Nyack Hospital: 2 (C)

  • Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow: 3 (B)

  • Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel: 3 (C)

  • St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick: 5 (B)

  • St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers: 1 (C)

  • St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers: 3 (C)

  • St. Luke’s Cornwall in Newburgh: 3 (C)

  • Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie: 3 (C)

  • Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla: 1 (D)

  • White Plains Hospital Center: 5 (A)

Southern Tier

  • Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira: 2 stars (C)

  • Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca: 4 (C)

  • Guthrie Corning Hospital: 3 (B)

  • Guthrie Cortland Regional Medical Center: 3 (C)

  • Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton: 3 (C)

  • UHS – Binghamton General Hospital: 2 (D)

  • UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City: (D)

  • St. Joseph's Hospital in Elmira: (C)

Mohawk Valley

  • Faxton St.-Luke’s Healthcare in New Hartford: 2 stars

  • The Wynn Hospital in Utica (Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare): (C)

  • Little Falls Hospital: 3 stars

  • Oneida Health Hospital: 3 (C)

  • Rome Memorial Hospital: 2 (C)

For further details about federal quality ratings for New York hospitals, visit the system's website at CMS.gov.

For further details on grades in New York, visit the Leapfrog website at hospitalsafetygrade.org.

U.S. News hospital ranking details are available online at health.usnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY hospital ratings 2023: Check rankings for health care facilities