New York hospitals received mixed safety grades in connection to the COVID-19 pandemic response, as the state's health care system ranked among the worst nationally, a consumer watchdog group reported.
Only 19 hospitals statewide, or about 13%, received the highest A safety grade from Leapfrog, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, while 34 hospitals received the second-lowest D grade. None of the hospitals in New York received an F.
The review looked at a variety of serious health-related issues, from infectious-disease prevention measures to surgical errors.
The report included a new analysis on COVID-19 concerns, underscoring how strains on the health care workforce contributed to declines in patient safety grades at many hospitals across the country.
"The health care workforce has faced unprecedented levels of pressure during the pandemic, and as a result, patients' experience with their care appears to have suffered," Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said in a statement.
"We commend the workforce for their heroic efforts these past few years and now strongly urge hospital leadership to recommit to improved care — from communication to responsiveness — and get back on track with patient safety outcomes," Binder added.
New York state overall ranked 44th worst in the country in terms of hospital safety, according to Leapfrog's latest grades, which was actually an improvement from its 47th worst in the group’s fall ranking.
The ranking noted New York's percentage of hospitals receiving an A safety grade, at slightly below 13%, fell far short of top-performing states ranging between 40% and 55%, including North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
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New York has historically had some of the worst rankings for hospital quality and safety in the country despite spending more than other states on health care.
Potential reasons for the poor ratings include limited state fines imposed on hospitals that put patients at risk, as well as some hospitals’ failures to implement best practices, according to a 2020 study by the New York Public Interest Research Group, a consumer watchdog.
The study looked at Leapfrog as well as the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services star-ratings system.
Hospital trade groups have disputed many of the rankings, citing a lack of uniform standards as well as varying timeframes for data reviews that failed to account for the complexities of health care delivery.
Leapfrog, however, asserted it focuses on preventable safety issues, such as infections, medical mistakes like sponges or tools left in bodies and complications such as collapsed lungs, that should raise concerns for patients.
While the differences between rankings are connected to the scoring measures used, experts say patients should try to be aware of the results in each respective system because they focus on a variety of important issues.
Many of the hospitals across the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley saw their safety grades improve or drop since Leapfrog last released grades in the fall.
Some hospitals weren't graded because they were not included in the review, which exclude facilities based on several reasons, including a lack of sufficient data reported to regulators and Leapfrog.
F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua: C
Highland Hospital in Rochester: C
Unity Hospital in Rochester: B
UR Medicine Noyes Health in Dansville: D
Columbia Memorial Hospital in Hudson: C
Garnet Health Medical Center in Middletown: B
Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern: C
MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie: D
Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital: D
Montefiore St. Luke's Cornwall in Newburgh: C
NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortlandt Manor: C
NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville: C
Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck: A
Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco: D
Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow: C
Putnam Hospital in Carmel: A
St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick: A
St. John's Riverside Hospital in Yonkers: C
St. John's Riverside Hospital in Dobbs Ferry: C
St. Joseph's Medical Center in Yonkers: C
Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie: C
Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla: D
Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira: C
Aurelia Osborn Fox Memorial Hospital in Oneonta: A
Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis: B
Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca: C
Guthrie Cortland Medical Center: C
Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton: D
UHS — Binghamton General Hospital: D
UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital in Norwich: C
UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City: C
St. Joseph's Hospital in Elmira: C
Faxton St. Luke's Healthcare in Utica: D
Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville: C
Oneida Health Hospital in Oneida: C
Saint Mary's Hospital at Amsterdam: D
St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica: D
For further details on grades in New York, visit the Leapfrog website at hospitalsafetygrade.org.
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David Robinson is the state health care reporter for the USA TODAY Network New York. He can be reached atdrobinson@gannett.com and followed on Twitter:@DrobinsonLoHud