Area hospitals graded on safety

Premier Health, Kettering Health receive a number of “A” grades from Leapfrog safety group.

Three Premier Health hospitals and five Kettering Health medical centers received an “A” safety grade for spring 2023 from the Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization.

The Leapfrog Group assigns general hospitals across the country a letter grade, A through F, based on national performance measures reflecting medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as systems that hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

The three Premier Health hospitals to receive an “A” include Atrium Medical Center, Miami Valley Hospital, and Upper Valley Medical Center. The Kettering Health medical centers that received an “A” include Kettering Health Hamilton, Kettering Health Main Campus, Kettering Health Miamisburg, Kettering Health Troy, and Soin Medical Center.

“The safety and well-being of our patients is a top priority at Kettering Health,” said Brenda Kuhn, chief clinical officer for Kettering Health. “These ‘A’ grades serve as a symbol of our commitment to providing high-quality care and remind the community of our dedication to a safety-first culture.”

Other Kettering Health locations include Kettering Health Dayton and Kettering Health Washington Township, which each received a “B” grade.

Kettering Health is made up of 15 medical centers and over 120 outpatient locations throughout western Ohio, as well as Kettering Health Medical Group, which includes over 700 board-certified providers.

At Premier, this is the fourth consecutive “A” rating for Upper Valley Medical Center. Miami Valley Hospital South and Miami Valley Hospital North received a “B” grade.

“A good patient experience begins with ensuring patient safety and delivering high quality care to every patient every time. This takes personal commitment and shared responsibility from everyone in our care teams,” said Dr. Roberto Colón, chief medical officer for Premier Health. “We are all dedicated to this mission every day for every one of our patients.”

Premier Health has eight emergency departments, 10 urgent care locations, and over 130 outpatient locations and affiliated primary care and specialty physician offices, as well as home health, mental health, and substance abuse services. Miami Valley Hospital is also the region’s only adult Level I trauma center.

“I am very grateful of our physicians, staff, and leadership for their sustained commitment to patient safety,” said Mike Riordan, president and CEO of Premier Health. “This is an outstanding achievement demonstrating the high quality of care delivered to our patients throughout our health system. Our patients and their well-being always come first.”

Mercy Health hospitals in the region also received mostly “B” grades. Mercy Health - Fairfield Hospital received a “B,” Mercy Health - Springfield Regional Medical Center received a “C,” and Mercy Health - West Hospital and Mercy Health - Anderson Hospital, both in Cincinnati, each received a “B.”

Mercy Health supports quality reports for consumers, but the hospital system said " it’s important to note they all measure quality a little differently depending upon their focus.” In an organizational statement, Mercy Health said, “Some are based on information from insurance claims, others on standardized evidence-based medicine practices, and still others on patient and physician surveys. As a result, they are not always an accurate depiction of the care someone will receive or the experience they will have.”

Mercy Health has a “Safety First, Safety Always” culture, the health system said, adding, “We are also proud of our many quality distinctions and service line recognitions in addition to our newly established 24/7 intensivist program.”

Other area hospitals to receive ratings included:

  • West Chester Hospital in West Chester Township received an “A.”
  • Bethesda Butler Hospital in Hamilton received a “B.”
  • Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati received a “C.”
  • McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital in Oxford received a “B.”
  • Clinton Memorial Hospital in Wilmington received a “D.”
  • Wayne HealthCare in Greenville received a “C.”
  • Wilson Health in Sidney received a “B.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is peer-reviewed, and grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. For more information, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

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