NH falls in hospital safety ranking

From last fall to this spring, New Hampshire dropped from 16th to 33rd in a ranking of hospital safety in the United States.

About the safety ranking

The ranking comes from The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit "committed to driving quality, safety, and transparency in the U.S. health system."

The nonprofit ranked states based on the percentage of general acute-care hospitals that earned an A grade for safety.  That safety grade was based on twenty-seven measures, from the number of patient falls to whether there are enough qualified nurses on staff.

How NH ranked

The Leapfrog Group graded thirteen hospitals in New Hampshire.  The Granite State's overall rank fell because three hospitals dropped from an A grade to a B: Elliot Hospital in Manchester, Concord Hospital in Concord, and Cheshire Medical Center in Keene.

Other NH hospital rankings

Hospitals graded poorly by The Leapfrog Group point to other hospital rankings.  

For example, Medicare scores hospitals on a five star system.  Catholic Medical Center has a five-star rating but only a C grade from The Leapfrog Group.  Meanwhile Lakes Regional General Hospital only has a two-star rating from Medicare but an A grade from the Leapfrog Group.

U.S. News and World Report also scores hospitals.  They most recently ranked Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center as the top hospital in New Hampshire, although The Leapfrog Group only gave that hospital a C.

How the rest of the states ranked

According to The Leapfrog Group, Hawaii had highest percentage of hospitals with an A for safety.  Three states - North Dakota, Delaware, and Iowa - tied for last place.

The rest of New England scored in the top ten, except for Vermont (36th) and Connecticut (46th).

Hospital quality is an important question for patients and insurers looking to decrease costs and improve patient outcomes. 

Click here to learn more about issues related to health insurance in New Hampshire.

How would you grade your local hospital?  Let us know in the comments below.