Check Out What Grade Overlook Medical Center Got On This Bi-Annual Safety Report

SUMMIT, NJ — Summit's Overlook Medical Center was ranked on its safety in The Leapfrog Group's annual fall safety grades.

Overlook Medical Center received an 'A' rating for the second time this year. This fall's rating is an improvement from last year, when the hospital was ranked with a 'B' for the whole of 2020 and 2019.

The nonprofit health care watchdog group grades hospitals twice a year, assigning letter grades from "A" to "F" based on each hospital's ability to protect patients from preventable errors, accidents, injuries and infections.

Here is a look at how Overlook Medical Center performed in the following five categories:

Infections

• MRSA Infection - Average
• C. diff Infection - Above Average
• Infection in the blood - Above Average
• Infection in the urinary tract - Below Average
• Surgical site infection after colon surgery - Above Average
• Sepsis infection after surgery - Above Average

Problems with Surgery

• Dangerous object left in patient's body - Above Average
• Surgical wound splits open - Below Average
• Death from serious treatable complications - Above Average
• Blood Leakage - Below Average
• Kidney injury after surgery - Above Average
• Serious breathing problem - Above Average
• Accidental cuts and tears - Above Average

Safety problems

• Harmful events - Above Average
• Dangerous bed sores - Above Average
• Patient falls and injuries - Above Average
• Falls causing broken hips - Above Average
• Collapsed lung - Above Average
• Dangerous blood clot - Above Average
• Air or gas bubble in the blood - Above Average

Practices to Prevent Errors

• Doctors order medications through a computer - Above Average
• Safe medication administration - Above Average
• Handwashing - Above Average
• Communication about medicines - Below Average
• Communication about discharge - Below Average
• Staff work together to prevent errors - Above Average

Doctors, Nurses and Hospital Staff

• Effective leadership to prevent errors - Above Average
• Enough qualified nurses - Above Average
• Specially trained doctors care for ICU patients - Above Average
• Communication with doctors - Above Average
• Communication with nurses - Above Average
• Responsiveness of hospital staff- Below Average

The fall 2021 Hospital Safety Grade represents the largest set of hospitals ever graded with grades assigned to 2,901 facilities.

In New Jersey, 30 hospitals received an "A" grade, 16 hospitals received a "B" grade, 22 hospitals received a "C" grade and two hospitals received a "D" grade. No New Jersey hospitals received an "F" grade.

It's worth noting the hospitals were graded during a time of pressure on the health care system due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"As the pandemic continues, we all have heightened awareness of the importance of hospitals in our communities and in our lives," said Leah Binder, president & CEO of The Leapfrog Group. "It is critical that all hospitals put patient safety first. Now we have more information on more hospitals than ever before, so people can protect themselves and their families."

Across all states, highlights of findings from the fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade include:

• Thirty-two percent of hospitals received an "A," 26 percent received a "B," 35 percent received a "C," 7 percent received a "D," and less than 1 percent received an "F."
• The five states with the highest percentages of "A" hospitals are Virginia, North Carolina, Idaho, Massachusetts, and Colorado.
• There were no "A" hospitals in Delaware, Washington, DC, and North Dakota.

The Safety Grades reflect performance on more than 30 evidence-based measures of patient safety, including for the first time, post-operative sepsis, blood leakage, and kidney injury.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is advised by an expert panel of leading patient safety authorities from across the country and receives guidance from the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality. Grades are updated biannually in the fall and in the spring.For more information about the Hospital Safety Grade, including details on individual hospital grades and state rankings, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

With reporting from Alexis Tarrazi