How safe are hospitals in the Triangle? Watchdog group releases new scores
Five Triangle hospitals were again named among the safest in the country by a health-care industry watchdog group.
Scores were released Monday as part The Leapfrog Group’s bi-annual Hospital Safety Grades. A national nonprofit, Leapfrog says its goal is to help people make better-informed decisions about health care.
To come up with the results, the group says U.S. hospitals were evaluated for staff training and other measures to avoid patient errors and injuries. The grades were given to more than 2,600 healthcare facilities, including 81 in North Carolina.
These Triangle hospitals got an A grade:
▪ Duke Raleigh Hospital
▪ Duke Regional Hospital in Durham
▪ Duke University Hospital in Durham
▪ UNC Rex Healthcare in Raleigh
▪ University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill
Those scores are unchanged from May, when the same hospitals earned the highest marks for safety, McClatchy News reported.
Also echoing their spring performances were WakeMed Raleigh Campus and WakeMed Cary Hospital, again receiving B and C grades, respectively, results show.
In Johnston County, UNC’s Johnston Health dropped from an A to a B since the spring. Johnston Health Clayton stayed at a B score, according to the findings.
While WakeMed hospitals performed above average for handwashing and qualified nursing staffs, marks were lower in other categories.
“As health care providers, providing a safe and healing environment is of the utmost importance to us,” the hospital system said in a statement. “WakeMed is committed to continuously improving with regard to quality, safety and the patient experience and we continue to build on this work in the face of a global pandemic.”
WakeMed hospitals joined some other higher-scoring Triangle facilities in ranking below average for infections in the urinary tract and blood as well as items that surgeons left in patients’ bodies.
But unlike hospitals that received A grades, WakeMed’s communication with doctors and nurses scored near or below average, results show.
“Effective communication between nurses and patients can be reassuring to patients and can prevent errors like medication mix-ups or misdiagnoses,” The Leapfrog Group said.
Safety efforts during the pandemic
Monday’s scores were released as COVID-19 has put a strain on medical centers across the country. Statewide, health officials on Saturday reported an all-time high in coronavirus-related hospitalizations.
“We see in the news every day the extraordinary courage of clinicians and staff caring for patients stricken by COVID-19,” The Leapfrog Group said in its news release. “What’s less apparent — yet equally laudable — are the untold efforts behind the scenes to protect patients. Hospitals’ commitment to the fundamentals have saved lives too.”
UNC Health also referenced the hardships of 2020 in its news release about the scores.
“This year has been incredibly challenging for all health organizations, which makes this Leapfrog recognition even more appreciated,” Dr. Wesley Burks, CEO of UNC Health, said in the release. “I’d like to thank all of our co-workers and physicians for their dedication to providing safe and excellent care for our patients during this pandemic. Our hospitals are committed to remaining leaders in health and safety as we look ahead to 2021.”
A representative from Duke Health didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.
U.S. News & World Report this summer named Duke University Hospital the best medical center in the region. It was followed by University of North Carolina Hospitals at No. 2; UNC Rex Hospital at No. 3; Duke Regional Hospital at No. 4 and WakeMed Raleigh at No. 5.
The rankings, which aren’t meant to take the place of health professionals’ guidance, examined performance in medical specialties, “procedures and conditions.”
This story was originally published December 14, 2020 at 1:02 PM with the headline "How safe are hospitals in the Triangle? Watchdog group releases new scores."
