Southern Ocean Medical Center Drops To B In Non Profit's Ratings

MANAHAWKIN, NJ - Southern Ocean Medical Center has dropped from an “A” grade to a “B” grade according to the non profit Leapfrog Group.

The Leapfrog Group released its twice-yearly hospital safety grades last week and found that hospitals overall have improved in reducing the number of avoidable deaths. The group assessed roughly 2,500 hospitals.

The report examined hospital protocols and judged how they handle infections, medical errors, injuries, accidents and staffing.

The assessment system assigned school-style letter grades to general acute-care hospitals. The mission was to determine a patient's risk of further injury or infection if they visit a certain hospital.

Southern Ocean received A grades for both the 2017 spring and fall assessments, but fell to a B grade for the 2018 spring assessment, according to the Leapfrog Group's latest ratings. That's still up from the C grades the medical center received in 2015 and 2016.

Southern Ocean was below the state average in preventing methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus infections (MRSA) and c difficile infections. But the hospital scored well in preventing blood and urinary tract infections and infections in surgical sites after colon surgery.

The hospital had below average ratings in preventing surgical wounds from splitting. But Southern Ocean scored well in preventing dangerous blood clots and deaths from serious and treatable complications, the Leapfrog Group found.

Southern Ocean also scored high in using computerized medical records and handwashing. Leapfrog found that the hospital was adequately staffed with qualified nurses, but was below the state average for enough doctors to care for intensive care patients.

Of the approximately 2,500 hospitals graded, 30 percent earned an “A,” 28 percent earned a “B,” 35 percent a “C,” six percent a “D” and one percent an “F”

Southern Ocean Medical Center was one of was one 24 New Jersey hospitals to receive an "A" grade.

New Jersey was one of 10 states to have a hospital that received an "F."
University Hospital in Newark got an "F." The hospital was reported to have a variety of problems related to infections, surgery and doctors, nurses and hospital staff, according to Leapfrog.
Photo: Courtesy of Shutterstock