close
close
orange

Peoria hospitals are rated for safety and patient care

Vaseline

Peoria’s three major hospitals each received a “C” rating for safety from a major nonprofit that seeks greater transparency in the nation’s health care system.

OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, along with Carle Health’s Methodist and Proctor hospitals, each received the average rating in The Leapfrog Group’s spring safety ratings of the nation’s hospitals.

The numbers are determined based on data from hospitals and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on 31 different hospital safety measures, from how hospitals handle infections and surgeries to how their staffs communicate with each other.

Outside of Peoria, Carle Health Pekin Hospital also received a “C” grade, while Graham Hospital in Canton earned a below-average “D.” OSF St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg received an above-average “B,” the highest among hospitals in the Journal Star’s coverage area.

More: These are the top-rated high schools in the Peoria area, according to a new report

How did Peoria hospitals score in terms of safety?

OSF St. Francis scored better than average in how it handled issues such as MRSA infections, not leaving dangerous objects in patients’ bodies, preventing broken hips, collapsed lungs and air embolisms; in ordering medicines via computer software and administering them safely and in communicating well to prevent errors. It also scored above average in providing specialist care to people in intensive care units.

However, the hospital scored below average in how it dealt with other infections, such as those in the blood and urinary tract, and with post-operative problems such as sepsis and site infections in the colon. It was also rated below average in terms of accidental cuts or tears, blood leakage, rupture of surgical wounds, and death from complications considered treatable.

It also scored poorly on preventing complications after surgery or childbirth, on having proper hand-washing procedures and on having effective leadership to prevent mistakes.

More: New report names the five worst performing cities in the US in Illinois

Methodist scored highly in tackling MRSA and urinary tract infections, in preventing surgical problems such as leaving dangerous objects in the body, keeping cracks closed, blood leakage, respiratory problems and accidental cuts and in preventing harmful events after a surgery, collapsed lungs and air embolism.

It scores particularly poorly on good practices to prevent errors, such as having good computer systems to keep track of medications and on handwashing. It also had one of the worst scores for specialist care for people in intensive care and did not report on their communication and leadership structure.

Proctor did not provide data on certain infection issues, such as MRSA, blood infections and colonic surgical site infections, but did score well on specific safety issues such as prevention of adverse events, pressure sores, patient falls and embolism. It did not score highly in preventing sepsis, collapsed lungs and proper computer procedures for patient medication.

Rankings for hospitals in Beijing, Canton and Galesburg

Unlike their counterparts in Peoria, Carle’s Pekin facility scored well in filling prescriptions, but still below average in their computer software and medication communications. It also scored poorly at hand washing and preventing patient falls.

Graham Hospital did well at preventing harmful post-operative events, breathing problems, embolism and objects left in the patient’s body, but not so well at things like preventing infections such as sepsis or clostridium difficile (C. diff ), preventing the patient from falling and breaking. hips, having good computer software for patients’ medications and having specially trained care for ICU patients.

St. Mary in Galesburg scored well in preventing MRSA infections, serious breathing problems after surgery, not leaving objects in patients’ bodies, preventing harmful pressure sores, surgical complications and embolism, along with having good drug computer systems and effective leadership in drug prevention. preventing errors.

More: Peoria Zoo’s ‘gentle giant’ giraffe Taji has been euthanized after suffering a broken bone

However, it scored below average in preventing sepsis and C. diff, treating collapsed lungs, hand-washing procedures and teamwork in preventing errors.

OSF HealthCare said in a statement that it is committed to improvement, but added that the results of a survey like this may lag behind when it was administered.

“OSF supports transparency about quality and safety information provided through the Leapfrog metrics and is committed to continuous improvement,” the statement said. “However, these results may lag and are not reflective of current results. We are proud of the work our Mission Partners (employees) do every day to ensure safe and high-quality care.”

Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group, said the numbers, both for hospitals in the Peoria area and others across the country, should be motivation to improve patient safety and pay more attention to their procedures.

“Patient safety remains a crisis-level threat in healthcare,” Binder said. “Some hospitals are much better than others at protecting patients from harm, which is why we are making the Hospital Safety Grade available to the public and encouraging all hospitals to pay more attention to safety.”

Related Posts