Public safety data gives a mixed report on area hospitals

Many New York City-area hospitals do not rate as well in public safety as residents might think, with only five hospitals in New York and New Jersey coming in at or above the national average in hospital safety, according to a Consumer Reports analysis of data from state, federal and hospital reports.

Medical centers like SUNY Downstate, Lutheran, Interfaith and Maimonides led the pack of 11 Brooklyn hospitals – two did not have complete data – on the safety ratings list. However, they did so coming in at 34 percent, 37 percent and 39 percent below the national average.

The 81 hospitals on the list were evaluated against four key measures of patient safety such as hospital-acquired infectionsreadmissionspatient communication.

According to Dr. John Santa, director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center, these safety markers were chosen for their relevance to “how committed hospitals are to protecting patients.” He said that although they are only some of the relevant information that patients need, “a low score, especially in multiple measures, is enough to raise a red flag.”

In response to their ratings

The specific initiatives being enacted were not available as of press time, but some are part of a collaboration with the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), which also counts Lutheran Medical Center among its members. GNYHA initiatives, in general, include projects in infection control and prevention, workforce development and training, and building infrastructure for clinical advancement in areas such as medication safety, surgical safety and perinatal safety.

Lutheran representatives did not respond to requests for comment as of press time.

Maimonides is located at 48th Street and 10th Avenue in Boro Park. Lutheran is at 55th Street between First and Second Avenues.

The highest ranked hospitals in the area were in Long Island and New Jersey, while the lowest ranked hospitals were in the Bronx, Queens, Yonkers and Long Island.

More than 1,000 hospitals were rated nationwide. Thirty hospitals in the New York City-area were in the bottom five percent, according to the survey. The other Brooklyn hospitals measured were:

•Brooklyn Hospital Center at 44 percent below the national average.

•New York Methodist Hospital at 47 percent below the national average.

•New York Community Hospital at 48 percent below the national average.

•Brookdale Hospital Medical Center at 53 percent below the national average.

•Coney Island Hospital at 54 percent below the national average.

•Kings County Hospital Center at 57 percent below the national average.

•Wyckoff Heights Medical Center at 59 percent below the national average.

Two Brooklyn hospitals – Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center and University Hospital of Brooklyn at Long Island College Hospital – were not rated due to lack of complete data on all of the key measures.

The full report and an analysis can be found at http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/02/new-york-area-hospitals-do-poorly-in-patient-safety/index.htm.