These Are the Safest Hospitals in America, According to New Study

Only one hospital in the tri-state has ranked among the best in the nation when it comes to safety ratings since 2012.

Nonprofit Leapfrog Group just published its report -- a comprehensive assessment grading nearly 2,700 acute care hospitals across 50 states on an A through F scale. The grades are based on hospital errors, accidents and infections, among other factors. Experts say patients that use a “D” or “F” hospital face nearly twice the risk of death from a preventable error than patients at an "A" rated hospital.

Of all the graded hospitals, 27 have received an “A” letter grade in every Safety Grade cycle since 2012 with 19 straight “A”s.

“We find that straight ‘A’ hospitals have strong structures of safety in place,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “These hospitals are continuously learning, monitoring data, and addressing areas of improvement.”

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Although, the five states with the highest percentages of "A" hospitals are found in Massachusetts, Idaho, Maine, Virginia, and North Carolina, one tri-state hospital was on that prestigious list.

Saint Barnabas Medical Center, located in Livingston, New Jersey, has received an "A" since 2012.

"At Saint Barnabas Medical Center, safety is our No. 1 priority and contributes to our success in achieving straight A's in the Leapfrog hospital survey," Stephen P. Zieniewicz, President and CEO of Saint Barnabas Medical Center said in a testimonial video to Leapfrog. "We were earlier adopters in our intensive care unit being managed exclusively by intensivists, which resulted in superior patient outcomes. Saint Barnabas Medical Center implemented numerous safe practices such as barcode scanning for medication administration and computerized provider order entry."

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Straight “A” hospitals also shared with Leapfrog Group on how they were better prepared for COVID-19.

“Hospitals with a consistent pattern of protecting patients from errors, accidents, and injuries, like these straight ‘A’ hospitals, seem to have been more prepared when the pandemic hit,” Binder said. “For many, safety and quality are embedded in their daily work at all levels of the organization, which prepared them in turn to respond to the rapidly evolving pandemic. As a part of this culture, straight ‘A’ hospitals have consistently shown a commitment to their workforce, empowering them to ask questions and share safety concerns.”

Zieniewicz went on to discuss the culture of Saint Barnabas Medical Center in his testimonial video, saying in part "the commitment to becoming a high reliability organization, along with the hardwired skills and safety behaviors enabled us to be resilient in the face of unprecedented challenges. Truly, we have heroes that work here at Saint Barnabas Medical Center."

The complete spring 2021 list of hospitals that received "A" grades since 2012 are: