The Leapfrog Grouphas released its latest grades for hospitals across the country. No Florida hospital earned the lowest grade of F, while 70 hospitals earned an A.
Florida is seventh in the country for its percentage of A-rated hospitals, up three spots from the grades issued last spring.
The biannual Hospital Safety Scores are calculated from various measures of publicly available safety data. According to Leapfrog, hospital errors are the third-leading cause of death in the United States.
See the latest grades for 160 Florida hospitals here.
"The point is, you don't just do what you're told and go to the hospital because it's down the street and has good parking,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of the nonprofit patient safety advocate organization. “There are a lot of differences among hospitals, and there's so much at stake for you as a patient or your family member as a patient that you really need to do your homework."
Binder said she advises patients to talk to their doctors about the grades, especially if they're being sent to a hospital that has a low grade.
"Physicians have a lot more leverage at the hospital than any one one citizen would have, so, certainly talk to your doctor," Binder said. "Say, 'Can you explain to me why my hospital you sent me to do is getting a C or a D? Do you know what they're doing to improve their safety? Can you reassure me I'll be safe at that hospital?'"
Hospitals around Tampa Bay that earned an A from The Leapfrog Group:
- Bartow Regional Medical Center
- Brooksville Regional Hospital
- Florida Hospital North Pinellas
- Florida Hospital Zephyrhills
- Largo Medical Center
- Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point
--Health News Florida is part of WUSF Public Media. Contact Lottie Watts at 813-974-8705 (desk) or e-mail at
lottiewatts@wusf.org.
For more health news, visit
HealthNewsFlorida.org.
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