Union County hospitals get B to D safety grades

UNION COUNTY, NJ — None of Union County’s three major hospitals received a grade above a B in the Leapfrog Group’s latest semiannual patient safety rating.
Overlook in Summit received a B while Robert Wood Johnson in Rahway was given a C and Trinitas in Elizabeth was rated a D in the analysis released Oct. 31, by the Washington-based organization.

Leapfrog Group was launched in 2000 by several large U.S. corporations in response to continually increasing health care costs.
The organization rated the hospitals in areas of infection, problems with surgery, practices to prevent errors, safety issues and doctors, nurses and staff.
Overlook’s rating was the third straight B grade for the facility, which received a lone C grade in spring 2016.

It scored below average in two of five infection categories; two of seven surgery categories; two of five in the “practices to prevent errors”; two of four safety areas — notably dangerous bed sores and patient falls — and in two of six staff issues, including communication with doctors and responsiveness of staff.
Robert Wood Johnson scored below average in three categories; above average in two infection categories; below two in seven categories examined in surgery, including death from serious treatable complications; below average in two of five practices to prevent errors; and was above average in all four safety categories, but below in all but two of six staff categories.

RWJ’s grade was equivalent to the mark it received six months ago, which was down from a B in both 2016 ratings and the A it had received in the spring and fall of 2015. RWJ’s two other hospitals in Somerset and Hamilton both received A grades.

Trinitas’ D was a drop from its past four straight C grades and it has fallen from the B it earned in spring 2015 and its A in fall 2014.
Trinitas was below average in 16 of the 27 categories evaluated in the five areas examined.

Among nearby hospitals, St. Barnabas in Livingston received an A, and is one of 18 in New Jersey to receive the top grade. JFK Medical Center in Edison, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark all received C grades, and University Hospital in Newark was rated a D.
Overall, New Jersey improved its standing among the 50 states rated from 15th in the spring to 11th. The survey rated 68 hospitals in the state.