West Michigan hospitals earn As

When it comes to patient safety, 11 hospitals in the region were given a clean bill of health by a national watchdog nonprofit.

The hospitals were among the 29 in the state to earn an A in the fall 2016 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, according to the Economic Alliance for Michigan today.

The rankings paint a comprehensive picture of avoidable hospital errors, accidents and infections that can prove deadly or harmful to patients.

More than 2,600 hospitals across the nation received a grade from Leapfrog, and 79 were rated in Michigan.

The 29 Michigan hospitals to receive an A grade in Michigan represents an uptick from the fall 2015 ratings, when 19 hospitals in the state received the A designation.

Michigan ranks 19th nationally for patient safety.

West Michigan A hospitals

Metro Health Hospital, Wyoming

North Ottawa Community Hospital, Grand Haven

Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital, Zeeland

Spectrum Health United Hospital, Greenville

Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, Grand Rapids

Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital, Big Rapids

Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital, East Grand Rapids

B hospitals

Bronson Battle Creek, Battle Creek

Spectrum Health Pennock, Hastings

C hospitals

Borgess Medical Center, Kalamazoo

Mercy Health St. Mary’s, Grand Rapids

Methodology

Each hospital rated is given a composite score based on 30 weighted national performance measures collected and reported by The Leapfrog Group and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Those measures include safe practices exercised by the hospital are collected via the 2016 Leapfrog Hospital Survey and H-COMP-1 communication practices collected from CMS Hospital Compare, sorted into a process and structural measures category.

Outcome measures considered include the number foreign objects retained, air embolisms and falls and trauma in addition to instances of CLABSI, CAUTI, SSI: Colon, MRSA, and C. Diff. reported by both the Leapfrog survey and CMS Hospital Compare.