Are you concerned about hospital safety ratings? You should be. Recent reports show that many hospitals in Illinois are not providing safe care for their patients.
When you go to the hospital, you trust that you will be safe and receive appropriate care. However, according to a recent study, hospitals in Illinois vary widely in terms of safety.
Were you or a loved one harmed while receiving treatment at a hospital? An experienced Illinois medical malpractice lawyer might find grounds for a lawsuit where you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
Call our personal injury attorneys today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call) or use the contact form today to schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Hospital Safety Grades
The quality of health care in Illinois is improving, as evidenced by the state’s hospital safety rating. The Illinois Hospital Association recently announced that the state’s hospitals had achieved an all-time high safety score.
The ratings are determined by a number of factors, including:
- Quality of care
- Cleanliness of the facility
- Number of patient falls and infection
Illinois hospitals have been working hard to improve their safety scores, and it is paying off.
The in-depth look at safety ratings shown below show what the single letter grade representing safety means. Plus, we explain where Illinois hospitals stand in terms of safety ratings.
What Does the Hospital Safety Ranking Denote?
The safety ranking of a hospital denotes how safe the hospital is in their provided care.
A higher rating means the hospital is a safer place to be. A lower ranking means the hospital is a less safe place to be. The safety ranking is crucial because it can help you make informed decisions about where to seek medical care.
When choosing a hospital, it is essential to consider many different factors. Safety is just one of the many factors that you should take into account. Other factors include things like the hospital’s reputation, location, and cost.
Ultimately, the decision of which hospital to choose is a personal one that should be made based on your specific needs and preferences.
What Are Different Illinois Hospital Safety Ratings?
Safety ratings for hospitals can be essential tools for patients and their families when making decisions about where to seek medical care. Hospitals are often ranked by various organizations using different criteria, so it is essential to understand what these ratings mean and how they are determined.
One common type of hospital ranking is the star rating system. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rates hospitals on a scale of one to five stars, with five stars being the highest rating. The CMS ratings are based on different measures of quality, including mortality rates, patient satisfaction, and readmission rates.
The Safety Grade
Another standard hospital ranking system is the Leapfrog Hospital Patient Safety Grade. This score is based on several measures of safety, including things like hospital-acquired infections and medication errors.
The score is displayed as a letter grade, with “A” being the highest grade and “F” being the lowest. For instance, the Rush University Medical Center in Illinois has a B safety rating. Meanwhile, the University of Illinois Hospital has a D rating.
Many other hospital ranking systems use different criteria. For example, some focus on specific conditions or procedures, while others consider a hospital’s financial stability.
It is important to remember that no ranking system is perfect, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. However, safety ratings can be a helpful way to compare hospitals and make informed decisions about where to seek medical care.
Which Factors Determine Hospital Safety?
Many different factors can affect a hospital’s safety rating. Some of the most critical include:
- Mortality Rates: This measures how many patients die while in the hospital. Lower mortality rates are generally indicative of better quality care.
- Patient Satisfaction: This measures how satisfied patients are with their overall experience at the hospital. Higher satisfaction means a hospital is providing better quality care.
- Readmission Rates: It measures how often patients are readmitted to the hospital after being discharged. The readmission rates of a hospital should be low.
- Hospital-Acquired Infections: It measures how often patients develop infections while in the hospital. Typically, a lower rate of hospital-acquired infections indicates better quality care.
- Medication Errors: How often do patients receive the wrong medication or dose of medication? Lower rates mean better quality care.
Illinois Hospital Patient Safety Ratings
Patient safety is of utmost importance regardless of the state or country. Like other states, patient safety in Ilinois is also determined using facility safety ratings, grades, and data.
A recent report showed that 46 Illinois hospitals received an A rating. Meanwhile, 22 hospitals got a B grade, 31 got a C grade, 6 got a D grade, while only one hospital had an F-grade rating.
Considering this, it is evident that the majority of the hospitals in Illinois are considered safe for patients. However, there are still several improvements that need to be made to ensure that all patients will receive the best possible care.
Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade in Illinois
A Grade Hospitals
According to the report, the following hospitals have an A-grade safety rating in Illinois.
- AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center – Bolingbrook
- AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Glen Oaks
- AMITA Health Saint Joseph Hospital – Chicago
- CGH Medical Center
- Edward Hospital
- AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center – Joliet
- AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale
- AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center La Grange
- AMITA Health Mercy Medical Center – Aurora
- Elmhurst Memorial Hospital
- HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital
- HSHS St. John’s Hospital
- HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital
- AMITA Health Resurrection Medical Center – Chicago
- AMITA Health Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center Chicago
- Illinois Valley Community Hospital
- Loyola Gottlieb Memorial Hospital
- Loyola University Medical Center
- Morris Hospital
- AMITA Health St. Alexius Medical Center Hoffman Estates
- Silver Cross Hospital
- SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital-Centralia
- Swedish Hospital
- UnityPoint Health – Methodist
- NorthShore University HealthSystem – Evanston Hospital
- NorthShore University HealthSystem – Glenbrook Hospital
- Riverside Medical Center
- Rush Copley Medical Center
- Rush Oak Park Hospital
- Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center
- NorthShore University HealthSystem – Highland Park Hospital
- Northwest Community Hospital
- OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center
- OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center
- OSF St. Mary Medical Center
- Ottawa Regional Hospital and Healthcare Center dba OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center
- Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital
- Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital
- Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital
- Northwestern Hospital McHenry Hospital
- Northwestern Medicine
- OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
- University of Chicago Medical Center
- West Suburban Medical Center
- OSF HealthCare System Little Co of Mary Medical Center
- Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital
B Grade Hospitals
Meanwhile, the following hospitals had a B-grade rating.
- Blessing Hospital
- Carle Foundation Hospital
- FHN Memorial Hospital
- HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital
- Advocate Sherman Hospital
- AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Medical Center Elk Grove Village
- AMITA Health Saint Joseph Hospital – Elgin
- Mercy Hospital and Medical Center
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital
- OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center
- OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center
- Palos Community Hospital
- Passavant Area Hospital
- AMITA Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Kankakee
- MacNeal Hospital
- McDonough District Hospital
- Memorial Medical Center
- Rush University Medical Center
- SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital – Mount Vernon
- Margaret’s Hospital
- Weiss Memorial Hospital
- Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital
C Grade Hospitals
These hospitals received a C-grade safety rating:
- Advocate BroMenn Medical Center
- Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
- Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
- Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
- Herrin Hospital
- Holy Cross Hospital
- Ingalls Memorial Hospital
- Jackson Park Hospital
- Advocate South Suburban Hospital
- Advocate Trinity Hospital
- Alton Memorial Hospital
- Memorial Hospital – Belleville
- Memorial Hospital of Carbondale
- MercyHealth Hospital Rockton Avenue
- Amita Health Saint Francis Hospital – Evanston
- Anderson Hospital
- Franciscan St. James Health – Olympia Fields
- Genesis Medical Center, Silvis
- Graham Hospital
- Community First Medical Center
- Crossroads Community Hospital
- Decatur Memorial Hospital
- Norwegian American Hospital
- OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center
- Swedish American Hospital
- Trinity Moline
- Trinity Rock Island
- UnityPoint Health -Proctor
- UnityPoint Health – Pekin
- Advocate Christ Medical Center
- Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital
D Grade Hospitals
The following hospitals received a D-grade rating:
- Advocate Condell Medical Center
- University of Illinois Hospital
- Gateway Regional Medical Center
- Memorial Hospital East
- Sinai Hospital
- Vista Medical Center East
F Grade Hospitals
John H. Stroger Jr Medical Center and St Bernard Hospital were the only facilities that received an F rating. Since it received an F rating, it means the hospital is the worst in terms of safety as compared to other hospitals.
Thus, they should focus on improving patient care to lower the rate of injuries, deaths, trauma, and complications.
Why Is It Important to Determine Hospital Safety Grades?
Determining hospital safety grades is important to get a particular hospital’s quality and safety data. The coronavirus pandemic surely impacted the overall performance in keeping patients safe since many hospitals were understaffed.
However, things have changed in the past year. Now, many hospitals have gotten top scores for their care services. Here are some reasons safety grades are important in health care:
Determining the Rate of Medical Errors
Medical errors refer to the mistakes made by medical staff during the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients. These medical errors can lead to serious consequences for patients, including death.
Hospitals need to track and report these events to get an accurate picture of how often medical errors occur. In addition, determining the rate of medical errors can help identify which hospitals have higher rates of errors and which are safer for patients.
Medical errors also extend to surgical patients. For instance, a serious medical error is a wrong-site surgery, where the surgeon operates on the wrong body part. This is an example of preventable harm that could have improved patient care.
Protecting Patients
Besides determining the rate of medical errors, knowing the safety rankings can also help protect patients. For instance, it can give an insight into how many patients are victims of malpractice at a hospital.
The data collected from hospitals is used to give a single letter grade to each hospital. Suppose Chicago Medical Center gets an A grade. That means the hospital’s performance in keeping patients safe and satisfied is remarkable.
All in all, the safety rankings of hospitals in Illinois are considerably higher. It means that the hospitals in the state provide decent care and have a lower risk of poor performance or malpractice.
Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer to Resolve Your Compensation Claim
Are you the victim of medical malpractice and injured while in the hospital? The personal injury attorneys Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC holds heath facilities accountable for substandard care when their negligence leads to injury or death.
We accept all cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay any upfront fees to resolve your claim. We get paid when you do.
Call us at (888) 424-5757 or use the contact form to schedule a free case review to discuss receiving compensation for your damages.
