Hospital Safety Study: How Did Southwest Hospital Do?

MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, OH - Southwest General Hospital is one of Ohio's safest hospitals for patients according to a new report from the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit composed of healthcare employers and staffers.

To come up with the grades, Leapfrog looks at medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections. The goal is to determine what a patient's risk of further injury or infection is if they visit a certain hospital.

“Southwest General takes its commitment to patient safety seriously as is evidenced by our eighth consecutive ‘Grade A’ in The Leapfrog Group’s most recent rating period,” said William A. Young, Jr., president and chief executive officer, Southwest General, in a statement. “We are continuously evaluating how we treat and care for our patients and visitors and what the best practices are for keeping them safe during their hospital stay. I am proud of the work being done by our staff and of the recognition received for it.”

LeapFrog said Southwest needs to improve its infection rate at surgical sites post-colon surgery. Southwest's infection rate was 1.192. The average hospital infection rate was .899. However, the hospital had better than average scores in MRSA infection rates, C.diff infection rates, blood infections during stays in the ICU, and urinary infection post-ICU stay.

Southwest also scored well in preventing problems during and post-surgery, including installing practices that keep patients safe. The hospital also had no discernible problems with patient safety, scoring well in all measured categories. Finally, the hospital scored well in almost all measurements of nurse and doctor education on prevention.

You can see all of Southwest's scores by clicking here.

“Hospitals that earn top marks nationally in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade have achieved the highest safety standards in the country,” said Leah Binder, president and chief executive officer, The Leapfrog Group, in a statement. “That takes commitment from every member of the hospital staff, who all deserves thanks and congratulations when their hospitals achieve an ‘A’ Safety Grade.”

According to Leapfrog, more than 1,000 Americans die each day from preventable hospital errors. Hospitals given a B rating by Leapfrog had a 9 percent higher risk of avoidable death than A hospitals. That number jumps to 35 percent in C hospitals and 50 percent higher in D and F hospitals.

Ohio is the 13th best state for hospital safety, according to Leapfrog. Of the 112 Ohio hospitals that were rated, 49 received an A. Roughly 44 percent of Ohio hospitals received an A grade. Only one hospital in Ohio got an F grade, the worst possible, Mercy Regional Medical Center of Lorain.

Here are the grades for all 112 of Ohio's ranked hospitals.

A

• Bethesda Butler Hospital
• Bethesda North Hospital
• Blanchard Valley Regional Health Center
• CHWC Archbold Hospital & Medical Center
• CHWC Bryan Hospital
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Cleveland Clinic - Euclid
• Cleveland Clinic - Fairview
• Cleveland Clinic - Hillcrest
• Cleveland Clinic - Lutheran
• Cleveland Clinic - Marymount
• Cleveland Clinic - Medina
• Coshocton County Memorial Hospital
• Dublin Methodist Hospital
• Fisher-Titus Medical Center
• Fort Hamilton Hospital
• Genesis Hospital
• Grady Memorial Hospital
• Kettering Health Network - Grandview Medical Center
• Kettering Health Network - Greene Memorial Hospital
• Kettering Health Network - Sycamore Medical Center
• Knox Community Hospital
• Licking Memorial Hospital
• McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital
• Memorial Health
• Mercy Hospital of Defiance
• Ohio Health - Marion General Hospital
• Ohio Health - Mansfield Hospital
• ProMedica Bay Park Hospital
• ProMedica Flower Hospital
• ProMedica Memorial Hospital
• Samaritan Hospital
• Southeastern Ohio Regional Hospital
• Southview Hospital
• Southwest General Health Center
• St John Medical Center
• St. Vincent Charity Medical Center
• The Bellevue Hospital
• The Christ Hospital
• The Ohio State University Hospital East
• The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
• University Hospitals Case Medical Center
• University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center
• Upper Valley Medical Center
• West Chester Hospital
• Western Reserve Hospital
• Wilson Memorial Hospital
• Wood County Hospital
• Wooster Community Hospital

B

• Adena Regional Medical Center
• Atrium Medical Center
• Aultman Hospital
• Cleveland Clinic - South Pointe Hospital
• Doctors Hospital of Columbus
• East Liverpool City Hospital
• Fairfield Medical Center
• Grant Medical Center
• Joint Township District Memorial Hospital
• Kettering Health Network - Kettering Medical Center
• Lake Health TriPoint Medical Center
• Lake Health West Medical Center
• Mercer County Joint Township Community Hospital
• Mount Carmel East Hospital
• Mount Carmel St. Ann's Hospital
• Promedica Toledo Hospital
• Riverside Methodist Hospital
• Soin Medical Center
• Southern Ohio Medical Center
• St. Joseph Health Center
• Trinity Medical Center - East
• Union Hospital
• University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center

C

• Alliance Community Hospital
• Ashatabula County Medical Center
• Berger Health System
• Clinton Memorial Hospital
• East Ohio Regional Hospital
• Firelands Regional Medical Center - Main Campus
• Good Samaritan Hospital & Health Center
• Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati
• Holzer Gallipolis
• Lima Memorial Health System
• Marietta Memorial Hospital
• Mary Rutan Hospital
• Mercy Health - St. Vincent Medical Center
• Mercy Health - St. Anne Hospital
• Mercy Health - St. Charles Hospital
• Mercy Medical Center
• MetroHealth Medical Center
• Miami Valley Hospital
• Mount Carmel West Hospital
• Northside Medical Center
• Salem Regional Medical Center
• Springfield Regional Medical Center
• St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital
• St. Elizabeth Health Center
• St. Luke's Hospital
• St. Thomas Hospital
• Summa - Akron City Hospital
• Trumbull Memorial Hospital
• UC Health - University of Cincinnati Medical Center
• University Hospitals Bedford Medical Center
• University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center
• University Hospitals Parma Medical Center
• University Hospitals Richmond Medical Center
• Van Wert County Hospital
• Wayne Hospital

D

• Akron General Medical Center
• St. Rita's Medical Center
• UH Portage Medical Center
• University of Toledo Medical Center

F

• Mercy Regional Medical Center of Lorain

Photo from Southwest General Hospital