Southeast Georgia Health System receives 2017 Safety Grade

When you make a run to the hospital, you’re usually thinking about your health – not safety. But there is one group that has your back.

The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit founded by employers and healthcare providers, recently ranked 74 of Georgia’s hospitals as part of a 2017 Spring Safety Grade.

Just a tad above average.

The hospital struggled in the ‘Infections’ category ranking below average in both the ‘infection at the surgical site’ and ‘blood infections in ICU’ categories but excelled in prevention of MRSA.

A troubling report of below average results in ‘surgical wounds splitting open,’ ‘deaths from serious treatable conditions,’ and ‘dangerous blood clots’ offset the positive rankings of preventing collapsed lungs and serious breathing problems.

Southeast Georgia Health System declined to provide information on staff hand washing procedures, accurately keeping medication records, and staff team protocol to prevent errors. The hospital was praised for excellent communication regarding medications and discharge.

The hospital also declined to report how it tracks and reduces risks to patients as well as taking steps to prevent ventilator problems. Even still, SGHS scored high in prevention of patient falls and dangerous bed sores.

SGHS denied reporting whether the hospital employed enough qualified nurses or took steps to improve safety training. LeapFrog placed the “ICU patient care training” and “responsiveness of staff” categories all in the below average spectrum.

You can see the full analysis here.

In the Spring & Fall of 2016, SGHS scored a ‘C’ all year but held steady B’s in 2015. The facility will be assessed again in the Fall.

NEARBY HOSPITALS:

• Candler in Savannah – C
• St. Joseph’s in Savannah – C
• St. Mary’s Sacred Heart – C
• Memorial in Savannah – C

No hospital in Georgia received an F, but only 13 received an A and five did pull a D. The group used statistics on medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections as part of a system to determine what a patient’s rick of infection or additional injury may be at Georgia hospitals. The rating stems from reports that 1,000 Americans die each day from preventable hospital errors.

“When we launched the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade in 2012, our goal was to alert consumers to the hazards involved in a hospital stay and help them choose the safest option. We also hoped to galvanize hospitals to make safety the first priority day in and day out,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of Leapfrog.

NOTE: Hospitals given a B rating by Leapfrog had a 9 percent higher risk of avoidable death than A hospitals. That number jumps to 35 percent in C hospitals and 50 percent higher in D and F hospitals.