Report cards are in for Beaufort County hospitals. Here's how they scored
While Beaufort County hospitals are ensuring that patients are safer than they were a few years ago, some are still more successful than others, according to a report released Tuesday.
For the first time in years, all three Beaufort County hospitals received a "B" ranking or higher in the latest biannual Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. By comparison, just two and a half years ago, they all were given a "C."
The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit watchdog organization for hospitals, analyzes hospital data and scores more than 2,300 hospitals every fall and spring on patient safety.
The Group’s Safety Grade report awards each hospital a letter grade ranging from “A” to “F” based on five major categories: infections; problems with surgery; practices to prevent errors; safety problems; and doctors, nurses and hospital staff.
Based on that criteria, Beaufort Memorial Hospital ranked among some of the best hospitals in the country in patient safety in the spring 2018 report. Coastal Carolina and Hilton Head hospitals, both owned by Tenet Healthcare, followed shortly behind.
Beaufort Memorial Hospital received an "A" rating for the fourth consecutive assessment — a recognition that only 14 of the 41 South Carolina hospitals earned in the latest ranking.
In the category of "problems with surgery," Beaufort Memorial Hospital scored as well as the top hospitals in the nation in all six areas surveyed.
Hilton Head Hospital saw the most improvement of the three local hospitals since the fall 2017 report.
After five years of receiving a "C" grade, Hilton Head Hospital jumped up to a "B" in the latest rating.
The hospital went from being rated for "below-average" communication with nurses and responsiveness of hospital staff to "average." In the category of infections, the hospital received the highest marks for infections in the blood and surgical site infection after colon surgery.
Coastal Carolina Hospital, which was given an "A" on the last three ratings, faltered a bit to a "B" grade this time around.
Among the areas identified as the hospitals' weak points were communication with nurses and doctors, communication about medicines and specially trained doctors care for ICU patients.
In terms of overall patient safety, South Carolina ranked 16 among the 50 states, dropping three spots from the fall 2017 ranking. Of the 41 hospitals ranked in the state, 14 received a letter "A,” two received a “D” and none got an “F.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2018 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Report cards are in for Beaufort County hospitals. Here's how they scored."