11 Maine hospitals get top safety grade in Leapfrog Group's national rankings
The Leapfrog Group, a Washington D.C.-based organization aiming to improve health care quality for consumers, employers and purchasers, announced its latest hospital safety grades, assigning A, B, C, D and F letter grades to general acute-care hospitals in the United States based on errors, accidents and infections.
In Maine, 16 hospitals were graded and 11 were awarded an “A”, the highest letter grade, demonstrating these hospitals’ dedication to safe care.
Hospitals receiving an “A” in Maine:
- Cary Medical Center, Caribou.
- Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor.
- Franklin Memorial Hospital, Farmington.
- Inland Hospital, Waterville.
- Maine General Medical Center, Augusta.
- Mercy Hospital of Portland, Portland.
- Mid Coast Hospital, Brunswick.
- St. Joseph Hospital of Bangor
- The Aroostook Medical Center, Presque Isle.
- York Hospital, York.
Hospitals receiving a “B” in Maine:
- Pen Bay Medical Center, Rockport.
- Maine Medical Center, Portland.
- St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center of Maine, Lewiston.
- Central Maine Medical Center, Lewiston.
- SMHC Biddeford Medical Center, Biddeford.
Cary Medical Center, Inland Hospital and Mid Coast Hospital have each maintained an ‘A’ rating since Leapfrog began reporting hospital safety grades in 2012. Several hospitals, including Franklin Memorial Hospital, Maine Medical Center and SMHC Biddeford Medical Group improved their ratings in the most recent release of data, with Franklin Memorial Hospital making the biggest leap from a “C” to an “A.”
Michael DeLorenzo, CEO of the Maine Health Management Coalition, said Maine has been the only state in the country with 100% participation in the Leapfrog Hospital Survey since the survey began in 2012.
“As Maine purchasers continue to seek out high quality care for their beneficiaries, this kind of transparency helps inform strategic decisions about where to direct patients for care,” he said.
Twice per year, more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals are assigned A, B, C, D and F grades by the Leapfrog Group. Of the 2,632 hospitals graded in fall 2017, 832 earned an “A,” 662 a “B,” 964 a “C,” 159 a “D” and 15 an “F.” The grades are calculated by top patient safety experts and are peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
“We applaud Maine hospitals' continued commitment to improving the safety of patients,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in a news release. “The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade helps shed light on those hospitals that need improvement, but also celebrates those committed to making their communities safer.”
For more information about the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade or to view a breakdown for each Maine’s hospital’s grade, go here.
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