Report: Florida ranks No. 7 nationally in hospital safety

A new hospital safety report released last week by nonprofit watchdog organization The Leapfrog Group gave 81 of 191 participating Florida hospitals an “A” rating — boosting the state’s overall hospital safety ranking from No. 15 in the nation last fall to No. 7. 

The biannual safety grade rates participating general hospitals across the United States based on their ability to protect patients from medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections, according to a release. 

The spring report shows Florida hospitals made some of the biggest improvements in the country when it comes to individual markers for patient safety.

(The spring rankings also mark the first time the biannual grade report had no grades for hospitals that didn’t participate in its hospital survey, the result of a recent federal court ruling involving five hospitals in South Florida that deemed the rankings “unfair and deceptive,” according to court documents. Leapfrog is pursuing an appeal, the release says, while also reviewing its safety grade methodology with a panel of experts.)

Of the 191 Florida hospitals that participated in the Leapfrog survey, 81 were given an “A” grade while 60 received a “B,” and 40 received a “C.” Two hospitals, both outside the region, received a “D” grade. Of the 450 general hospitals nationwide that elected not to participate in the biannual grade report, eight are in Florida.

Among the top performing Florida hospitals, 41 were given a “Straight A” designation for maintaining an “A” grade for five or more consecutive grading periods. 

Connecticut had the highest percentage of “A” hospitals, followed by Virginia, South Carolina, Utah and Montana. On the other end of the spectrum, there were no “A” graded hospitals in North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont or Wyoming, the release says.