Eight hospitals in New York City received a “D” grade for patient safety in the latest report card released by The Leapfrog Group, a prominent healthcare watchdog organization. The hospitals that earned poor marks include St. Barnabas Hospital, Montefiore Medical Center (Einstein and Moses campuses), NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, St. John’s Episcopal Hospital-South Shore, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, and Staten Island University Hospital — North Campus. These ratings are based on how effectively hospitals protect patients from preventable medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections.

Mixed Performance Among NYC Hospitals

In contrast, NYU Langone hospitals in Manhattan and Brooklyn were the only facilities in the city to receive an “A” grade for patient safety. Notably, Northwell Health, which operates Staten Island University Hospital, has been steadily improving its rankings since joining the patient safety report card initiative in 2022. NYU Langone Health emphasized the dedication of its patient care teams in maintaining high safety standards across its hospitals, extending from Manhattan to Long Island and Brooklyn.

Staten Island University Hospital defended its commitment to patient safety, highlighting its four-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. While acknowledging its participation in the Leapfrog ratings since 2022, the hospital emphasized its progress in achieving an “A” rating in other surveys. Despite these efforts, concerns about patient safety persist, prompting hospitals to reevaluate their practices and protocols to ensure optimal care delivery.

Focus on Improvement and Patient Experience

The Leapfrog Group’s report card, released biannually and covering nearly 3,000 hospitals nationwide, provides valuable insights into the state of patient safety and quality of care. Although New York saw a modest improvement in its rankings, with 11.8% of hospitals earning an “A” grade, challenges remain. Notably, three hospitals in the state received an “F” rating in the latest report card, indicating ongoing issues that require urgent attention.

While improvements have been observed in various measures, such as a decrease in preventable infections, patient experience has yet to fully recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Leah Binder, President and CEO of The Leapfrog Group underscored the importance of delivering better care to enhance the patient experience. She expressed optimism about the positive trends in patient safety but emphasized the need for sustained efforts to save lives and improve overall healthcare outcomes.