Connecticut Hospital Rankings

Connecticut Hospital Rankings

Best (And Worst) Hospitals In CT

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades for Connecticut are in, and the results are not impressive. Last week, Connecticut hospitals ranked 40th in the country for Spring 2019. This a six rank increase from last spring when Connecticut it the 46th spot, but still in the bottom ten of hospitals across the United States. Only 16 percent of Connecticut hospitals received an A ranking this year, leaving few outstanding medical facilities to serve the 3.5 million plus residents in the state.

Patient health and safety has never been more critical in the country. Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America, responsible for over 400,000 fatalities every year. Hospitals and medical centers must be held accountable for upholding high standards of care to protect patients from further illness and injuries. Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades helps to ensure this process occurs and keeps patients aware of their choices when it comes to the best facilities for their care.

Connecticut Hospital Rankings

It’s imperative that Connecticut residents research the hospitals in their area to avoid putting their health at unnecessary risk. Choosing a health care facility based on quality rather than proximity to your home is a step every patient can take to prevent medical errors arising from negligence.

Out of the 25 Connecticut facilities rated in this season’s Leapfrog Hospital Grade Report, less than half received an ‘A’ or ‘B’ rating while the remainder received a ‘C’. The hospitals reviewed include:

A Rating

• Bristol Hospital, Bristol
• Sharon Hospital, Sharon
• St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center, Hartford
• Windham Community Memorial Hospital, Willimantic

B Rating

• Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Torrington
• Danbury Hospital, Danbury
• Milford Hospital, Milford
• New Milford Hospital, New Milford
• Stamford Health, Stamford
• The William W. Backus Hospital, Norwich
• University of Connecticut Health Center, John Dempsey Hospital, Farmington

C Rating

• Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport
• Day Kimball Hospital, Putnam
• Greenwich Hospital, Greenwich
• Griffin Hospital, Derby
• Hartford Hospital, Hartford
• Johnson Memorial Medical Center, Stafford Springs
• Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, New London
• Middlesex Health, Middletown
• MidState Medical Center, Meriden
• Saint Mary’s Hospital, Waterbury
• St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Bridgeport
• The Hospital of Central Connecticut, New Britain
• Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven
• Yale-New Haven Hospital Saint Raphael Campus, New Haven

Several hospitals received average grades based on their inability to prevent or reduce the spread of infections occurring after a patient is in care. Some of the problems included infections in the blood, infections in the urinary tract, surgical site infections after surgeries, Clostridium difficult infections (gastrointestinal infection), and staph infections such as MRSA.

How They Get The Grade

The Leapfrog Group has been determined to provide transparency and education to the public regarding hospitals and medical centers available in their communities for nearly 20 years. Founded in 2000, this nonprofit has become highly respected in the health care industry for its grading system, creating a golden standard for hospitals nationwide.

Since the grading system began, hospital safety ratings have noticeably been on the rise. Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grade reports are released twice a year to keep patients updated on the conditions of each facility reviewed. Once in May before the summer holiday and again in October before the winter holidays, both periods known for high rates of injuries.

Each hospital or medical center evaluated is crucially reviewed in five main areas that can make-or-break the success of a facility:

• Infections
• Problems with Surgery
• Practices to Prevent Medical Errors
• Safety Problems
• Doctors, Nurses & Hospital Staff

The Leapfrog Expert Panel derives each hospital’s grade by selecting, analyzing, and determining the weight of 28 measures of hospital safety based on three factors: evidence, the opportunity for improvement, and impact. Each measure is then defined into these two groups which each make up 50 percent of the overall scores:

• Process/Structural Measures: Process Measures are how often facilities communicate with their patients, such as responding to questions or providing feedback. Structural Measures represent the environment and systems a hospital uses to serve patients, such as their computer systems.
• Outcome Measures: These measures represent what happens to the patient while they are receiving care from a hospital.

Patients deserve optimal health care every time they visit a hospital. By holding hospitals accountable for improving their levels of care, The Leapfrog Group has significantly impacted how these facilities are run and how/why patients are choosing their healthcare facilities.

How To Stay Safe

Unfortunately, not every hospital prioritizes health and safety as highly as others. To help keep you and your loved ones safe during any hospital visit, The Leapfrog Groups recommends taking the following simple steps:

• Prevent medication errors by understanding every medication you are prescribed and why.
• Protect your child in the hospital by staying educated, asking questions, and sharing concerns.
• Prevent falls by wearing non-slip socks, using your call button for help, lowering the bed height and side rails, and knowing which medications could make you dizzy.
• Help family members in the hospital by being present for rounds, understanding their treatment plan, and taking notes.
• Talk to your doctor about their plan regarding medical errors.

No one should have to suffer from subpar medical care. For more safety tips and patient resources on how to keep you and your family safe, click here.

Connecticut Medical Malpractice Attorneys

Hospitals and medical centers have an obligation to avoid acts of negligence and prevent their patients from unforeseeable harm. If you or a loved has been injured due to the medical negligence of a health care facility, you may be eligible to receive compensation for any damages suffered. Contact our expert team of medical malpractice attorneys at Jacobs & Wallace for a free consultation to explore your options.