Today’s issue (4-29-2014) of the Roanoke Times contained an interesting article on the safety of our area’s hospitals. The article, “Group Awards C to Franklin County Hospital” reports on the hospital safety ratings produced by The Leapfrog Group. The Leapfrog Hospital Survey is the gold standard for comparing hospitals’ performance on the national standards of safety, quality, and efficiency that are most relevant to consumers and purchasers of care. The survey is the only nationally standardized and endorsed set of measures that captures hospital performance in patient safety, quality and resource utilization.
And just how did Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital do in 2013? How about a “C.” That is right, not “excellent”(A) or even “good”(B) but “average”(C). Here are the safety grades for several other hospitals in Southside and Western Virginia:
Clinch Valley Medical Center in Richlands, VA – Grade C
Twin County Community Hospital in Galax, VA – Grade C
Wythe County Community Hospital in Wytheville, VA – Grade C
And the worst of the bunch:
Halifax Regional Health System in South Boston, Va- Grade D
Memorial Hospital of Martinsville in Martinsville, VA – Grade D
My Take: If given the choice, I want my hospital to get an “A.” My well-being and health are too important to risk.