Patient falls, ICU staffing cited as concerns in central PA hospitals. See safety grades
Intensive care staff training and patient falls and injuries were some of the biggest concerns identified in central Pennsylvania-area hospitals recently, according to a watchdog report released May 10.
The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit watchdog organization that provides ratings and safety data for hospitals. It recently released ratings for thousands of hospitals across the country.
Mount Nittany Medical Center and Penn Highlands Huntingdon both received a 5 in the category “specially trained doctors care for ICU patients,” the lowest score given to any hospital.
The University of Pittsburgh Susquehanna Medical Center - Lock Haven got a 2.075 in “patient falls and injuries,” the worst score given to any hospital. Leapfrog says the category is one that may deserve special attention and patients should ensure providers are doing everything they can to prevent additional injuries.
Other areas in which central Pennsylvania hospitals scored below benchmarks include death from serious treatable complications, dangerous blood clots, infections, staffing and communication.
Collapsed lungs and effective leadership were also cited as areas to watch, along with safe medication administration.
Of the five hospitals reviewed below, three received Cs and two got As. Even facilities with As are not perfect, and one scored below average in nine of Leapfrog’s categories.
How did your hospital do? Here’s how local health care providers compare to typical facilities and advice on how to interpret the ratings.
Mount Nittany Medical Center
Spring 2022 grade: C
Fall 2021: C
Spring 2021: C
Here are the areas in which Mount Nittany Medical Center scored below average this spring:
C. diff infection
Surgical site infection after colon surgery
Sepsis infection after surgery
Death from serious treatable complications
Patient falls and injuries
Dangerous blood clot
Doctors order medications through a computer
Safe medication administration
Communication about medicines
Specially trained doctors care for ICU patients (Mount Nittany Medical Center received a 5 in this category, the lowest score given to any hospital.)
Leapfrog’s website says Mount Nittany Medical Center declined to report the following metrics:
Handwashing
Staff work together to prevent errors
Effective leadership to prevent errors
Enough qualified nurses
Mount Nittany Medical Center officials had not provided the Centre Daily Times with a statement by presstime.
Geisinger Lewistown Hospital
Spring 2022 grade: A
Fall 2021: A
Spring 2021: A
Here are the areas in which Geisinger Lewistown Hospital scored below average this spring:
Infection in the blood
Blood leakage
In an email statement, Geisinger Hospital officials said the A designation demonstrates the community investment the hospital makes.
“This recognition highlights the commitment our staff has for providing great care to our patients in a safe manner,” said Kirk Thomas, chief administrative officer for Geisinger’s Western Region. “Patient safety is always a top priority for us, and we continue to make improvements and invest in ways to meet the needs of our community.”
University of Pittsburgh Susquehanna Medical Center - Lock Haven
Spring 2022 grade: C
Fall 2021: Not graded
Spring 2021: Not graded
Here are the areas in which UPMC Susquehanna - Lock Haven scored below average this spring:
C. diff infection
Patient falls and injuries (UPMC Susquehanna - Lock Haven received a 2.075 in this category, the worst score given to any hospital.)
Falls causing broken hips
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - Altoona
Spring 2022 grade: A
Fall 2021: A
Spring 2021: A
Here are the areas in which UPMC - Altoona scored below average this spring:
C. diff infection
Infection in the urinary tract
Surgical wounds split open
Death from serious treatable complications
Kidney injury after surgery
Serious breathing problem
Patient falls and injuries
Collapsed lung
Communication with doctors
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center officials had not provided the Centre Daily Times with a statement by presstime.
Penn Highlands Huntingdon
Spring 2022 grade: C
Fall 2021: C
Spring 2021: C
Here are the areas in which Penn Highlands Huntingdon scored below average this spring:
C. diff infection (Penn Highlands Huntingdon only scored 0.014 worse than the average in this category.)
Blood leakage
Dangerous blood clot
Doctors order medications through a computer
Safe medication administration
Specially trained doctors care for ICU patients (Penn Highlands Huntingdon received a 5 in this category, the lowest score given to any hospital.)
Communication with doctors
Penn Highlands Huntingdon declined to report the following metrics, according to Leapfrog’s website:
Handwashing
Staff work together to prevent errors
Effective leadership to prevent errors
Enough qualified nurses
Penn Highlands Huntingdon had not provided the Centre Daily Times with a statement by presstime.
How are grades calculated?
Safety Grades are calculated using up to 22 national safety measures from the Leapfrog survey and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Full methodology is available online and is peer-reviewed by the Journal of Patient Safety.
Grades are composed 50% by process and structural measures and 50% by outcome measures. The scoring scales differ by the chosen measure.
How should I use these scores?
Leapfrog emphasizes that you should not refuse emergency care based on hospital ratings. The group intends the scores to be used when planning hospital events, such as childbirth, surgery referrals or care for chronic illnesses.
The areas you should pay most attention to when choosing a hospital include handwashing, infection in the blood and patient falls, Leapfrog’s website says.
You should also consider how far off your hospital was from the average for any given standard. When evaluating a hospital, you can see the highest and lowest scores given, which helps in weighing a value. The “below average” category can include hospitals that scored 0.01 points under goal along with facilities with the lowest possible score.
For hospitals that responded to Leapfrog’s survey, there’s often information available about which areas the hospital has improved in and which areas are not going in the right direction.
A hospital being ungraded does not denote a lack of safety. Ratings are often unavailable for facilities that decline to self-report, as well as smaller providers, children’s hospitals, surgical centers and critical access hospitals.
How can I find more hospital ratings?
Leapfrog allows you to search for hospitals by name, location or state. Here’s the search tool where you can find information about more hospitals.
