St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea and UM Health System receive “A” grades for patient safety.

by Patrice Johnson

Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades announced April 24 that St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea and the University of Michigan Health System were among 23 other Michigan hospitals to receive “A” rankings on its Spring 2018 scorecard. LHSG assigns A, B, C, D and F letter grades to approximately 2500 hospitals nationally for their safety standards in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among their patients.

St. Joe’s and UMHS were two of 750 hospitals nationally to be awarded an “A.” Of the 76 hospitals ranked in Michigan, UMHS and St. Joe’s were the only two hospitals this area to receive an A ranking.

Hurley Medical Center received an F grade. McLaren – Greater Lansing, along with four other Michigan hospitals, earned a D.

Other Michigan hospitals to receive A rankings included: McLaren Macomb, Mt. Clemens; Harper-Hutzel Hospital, Detroit; St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Pontiac; Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, West Bloomfield; Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital, Commerce Township; Memorial Healthcare, Owosso; Hillsdale Hospital, Hillsdale; War Memorial Hospital, Sault Sainte Marie; Otsego Memorial Hospital, Gaylord; Munson Healthcare Hospitals in Grayling, Cadillac, and Traverse City; Spectrum Health United Hospital, Greenville; Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital, Grand Rapids; Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, Grand Rapids; Metro Health – University of MI Health, Wyoming; Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital, Zeeland; Lakeland Regional Medical Center-St. Joseph, St. Joseph; Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital, Ludington; UP Health System, Marquette; and Dickinson County Healthcare System, Iron Mountain.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, developed under the guidance of an expert panel, uses 27 measurements of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades twice a year. It is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

To see how other hospitals scored and to access safety tips for patients and their loved ones, please visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.