Here are the latest Charlotte hospital safety ratings. How did your hospital do?
In the latest round of hospital safety grades released by a national nonprofit, one of Charlotte’s major hospital systems received straight A’s for the first time, the nonprofit announced Wednesday.
The rankings, based from a review this fall, were released by the Leapfrog Group, which evaluates hospital safety and patient experience for facilities across the country.
Novant Health received A’s for 11 NC hospitals including Charlotte’s Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. That makes Novant Health the largest health care system in NC to achieve all A’s, according to Novant.
The marks are awarded based on how hospitals compare to other facilities across the country, Novant Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Eric Eskioglu told the Observer.
In the fall 2021 review, just 32% of 2,901 hospitals received an A grade, according to the Leapfrog Group. “So it’s a big accomplishment just to get one A,” Eskioglu said. “But for the first time in our entire Novant Health history, we have gotten all A’s.”
Charlotte’s largest hospital system, Atrium Health, received several A marks at its hospitals, as well as several B and C grades.
In Charlotte, Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center received an A grade, as did Atrium Health Mercy and Atrium Health University City. Atrium Health Pineville on Park Road received a C grade.
Atrium Health received A ratings at 11 hospitals across North Carolina.
“To receive these high marks during some of the most challenging times in our history reflects on the dedication and professionalism of our Atrium Health teammates throughout our system who provide care to our patients,” Atrium spokeswoman Kate Gaier said in an email Wednesday.
And Atrium continues to analyze safety patterns, she said.
“We know our patients at Atrium Health expect the best for their health care needs, and we are dedicated to providing world-class, high-quality care to our patients, families and communities,” Gaier said. “We continue to work toward delivering on those expectations as part of our mission to improve health, elevate hope and advance healing – for all.”
How the hospitals are graded
The letter grades are assigned to hospitals on an A to F scale, based on the facility’s “overall performance in keeping patients safe from errors, injuries, accidents and infections,” according to the Leapfrog Group.
The group evaluates performance based on a number of scoring measures, including: hand hygiene, ICU physician staffing, doctor and nurse communication, levels of MRSA infection in hospitals and death rate among surgical inpatients with serious treatable conditions.
In 2019, Novant Health established the Novant Health Institute for Safety & Quality, recently investing in electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems, and additional education for clinical front-line staff on patient safety indicators.
Across the country, about 250,000 hospital patients die each year due to medical errors, hospital-acquired infections or safety issues, Eskioglu said. That’s why it’s so important for hospital systems to create new strategies to protect patients in their care, he said.
“When a patient stepped through our doors, they know that we have all the checks and balances that’s going to protect them,” Eskioglu said.
Hospital rankings
Here’s how Charlotte-area hospitals ranked on the Fall 2021 list:
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center: A
Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center: A
Atrium Health Mercy: A
Atrium Health University City: A
Atrium Health Pineville: C
Novant Health Matthews Medical Center: A
Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center: A
CaroMont Regional Medical Center: A
Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center: A
Atrium Health Cleveland: A
Atrium Health Kings Mountain: A
Atrium Health Lincoln: A
Atrium Health Stanly: A
Atrium Health Cabarrus: B
Atrium Health Union: B
Novant Health Rowan Medical Center: A
More details on each hospital’s score can be found online.
This story was originally published November 10, 2021 at 12:19 PM.
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