Report: Michigan hospitals rank 5th in nation for patient safety 

Report: Michigan hospitals rank 5th in nation for patient safety 
Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital earned an “A” grade in the Leapfrog Group’s 2022 spring report card.

Michigan ranked fifth in the nation for patient safety as more than three-quarters of hospitals in the state received an “A” or a “B” grade, according to the latest installment of a semi-annual report card.

Forty-one out of 81 hospitals statewide, and 12 in West Michigan, that the Leapfrog Group analyzed for the spring report card earned an “A” while another 22 received a “B.”

Bret Jackson, president of the business-labor coalition Economic Alliance of Michigan, called the spring report card results “simply outstanding.”

“Higher levels of patient safety in hospitals means fewer medical errors, which leads to lower costs for patients, their families, and employers. By using the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Michiganders can make the best selection for where to seek care,” said Jackson, whose organization works with the Leapfrog Group on the report card in Michigan.

West Michigan hospitals that received an “A” in the spring report card were:

  • Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo
  • Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo
  • Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids
  • North Ottawa Community Hospital in Grand Haven
  • Sparrow Hospital in Lansing
  • Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital
  • Spectrum Health Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph
  • Spectrum Health Lakeland Niles Hospital
  • Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital
  • Spectrum Health United Hospital in Greenville
  • Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital
  • University of Michigan Health-West in Wyoming

Nationwide, Michigan ranked behind only Colorado, Utah, Virginia and North Carolina in the percentage of hospitals that received a top grade in the spring report card.

The four hospitals in the West Michigan market that received a “B” from the Leapfrog Group were:

  • Bronson Battle Creek Hospital
  • McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital
  • Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids
  • Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital and East Grand Rapids

Two hospitals in West Michigan — Holland Hospital and Mercy Health Muskegon — earned a “C” in the Leapfrog Group’s spring report card. Only one hospital in Michigan, Hurley Medical Center in Flint, earned a “D,” and none received a failing grade.

The Washington, D.C.-based Leapfrog Group twice a year analyzes data on more than 3,000 U.S. hospitals and issues each a letter grade for patient safety. The analysis uses data on 30 metrics such as preventable medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections.

Nationwide, one-third of hospitals that the Leapfrog Group analyzed earned an “A” and 24 percent received a “B.” Another 36 percent received a “C.”

“Despite a general decrease in patient experience ratings, spring grades continue to show significant variation in safety performance across U.S. hospitals,” Leapfrog Group President Leah Binder said in a statement. “This variability is a constant reminder that the public must have access to information on which hospitals are safer so patients can make the best decision for themselves and their loved ones.”

The Leapfrog Group noted in this spring’s report that the COVID-19 pandemic has reversed years of progress in patient safety nationally.