WILMINGTON — The 2024 results of a survey done by national watchdog organization Leapfrog Group shows Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center earned a ‘B’ safety grade.
READ MORE: Fed report confirms Novant’s insufficient staffing, nurses detail to PCD problem extends beyond ER
The hospital has maintained this grade since spring 2021. Comparitively, Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center remains at an ‘A’, with the full detailed report viewable here.
The Leapfrog Group measures facilities in several categories including, infections, problems with surgery, safety problems, practices to prevent errors and doctors, nurses and hospital staff.
The data represents errors, accidents, and injuries that the facility has willingly reported to Leapfrog, along with data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which implements reporting requirements on facilities.
It is also important to some metrics were recorded more recently than others.
Some of the data was collected from July 1, 2020, which was before the hospital was sold to Novant Health, to June 30, 2022, cutting off right before conditions at Novant worsened to the point of “immediate jeopardy” status. The hospital was at-risk of losing its Medicare and Medicaid contracts in July 2022 due to severe safety issues, largely brought on by stretching NHRMC’s limited staff too thin.
However, the survey shows the facility is not far from average, in most areas of measurement, compared to hospitals across the nation, though there are still some areas of work — increasing responsiveness of staff, decreasing deaths due to treatable complications, and reducing harmful events.
Below is more detailed survey results in each of the measured categories:
Infections
The survey measures infections that occur at a hospital compared to the number of infections expected for the hospital given the number of daily patients and how widespread the infection is in their local community. A score lower than 1.00 means fewer infections than expected, more than that one means more infections than expected.
NHRMC was on par with other facilities in measurement of the MRSA and C.diff infections, along with sepsis, but scored lower than average in blood infections, urinary tract infections, and surgery site infections after colon surgery. The latter was the worst score — 1.449 compared to 0.845 on average.
This data was observed from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022.
Problems after surgery
In problems after surgery, NHRMC scored better on average in surveys of leaving foreign objects in bodies — where it earned a perfect score — along with measurements of kidney injury after surgery and accidental cuts and tears. It scored on average in blood leakages and serious breathing problems.
Where it scored below average was in surgical wounds splitting open (3.40 compared to the 2.01 average) and deaths from serious treatable complications (195.04 compared to the 168.38 average).
This metric is measured per 1,000 people, meaning a little over 195 out of 1,000 people died from a serious treatable complication.
This data was observed from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022.
Safety Problems
In safety problems per 1,000 people, NHRMC only fell below average on one metric — harmful events — though only slightly so. It scored a 1.04 compared to an average of 1.01.
NHRMC was on average in the following categories: dangerous bed sores, patient falls and injuries, and dangerous blood cots. It scored above average in the following: falls causing broken hips, collapsed lungs, and air and gas bubbles in the blood.
This data was observed from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022.
Practices to Prevent Errors
In this measurement, hospitals can earn up to 100 points. The hospital earned a perfect score in multiple categories: doctors ordering medications through a computer, safe medication administration, hand washing, and staff working together to prevent errors. NHRMC’s communication about discharged was 87 compared to the national average of 84.9.
NHRMC earned an average rating in communication about medicines.
This data was measured over the course of 2023.
Doctors, Nurses and Hospital Staff
Out of 100, NHRMC scored 76 compared to the 81.14 national average in responsiveness to patients. According to the survey, this number represents a patients’ perspectives of how quickly the staff at a hospital typically responds to patients’ requests for help.
The survey also notes hospitals that score well on this measure are “well-staffed and have systems in place to make sure that all patients receive the care they need quickly.”
NHRMC had two perfect scores in two categories: effective leadership to prevent errors and specially trained doctors care for ICU patients. It scored on average in all others: nursing and bedside care for patients, communication with doctors, and communication with nurses.
This data was measured from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.
Read the full report here.
Tips or comments? Email info@localdailymedia.com.
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our morning newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
