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Do You Know How Your Hospital Ranks For Safety?

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The Leapfrog Group* has just published its spring update on hospital safety, giving U.S. hospitals a Hospital Safety Score.  It is an eye-opener for consumers in Connecticut and around the country.  “The Hospital Safety Score is an A, B, C, D, or F letter grade reflecting how safe hospitals are for patients…. The Score uses among many sources, the national performance measures from the Leapfrog Hospital Survey as well as those from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  From this data they produce a single score representing a hospital’s overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors.”

Connecticut hospitals rank 37th out of 50 states for hospital safety, putting the state in a group of states that includes Louisiana, Arkansas, and Alaska.

Why is a ranking system like this one important?  Because medical errors and medical malpractice are now the third leading cause of death in America.   To give an example, did you know that twenty-five percent (1 in 4) Medicare patients will walk out of a hospital with an issue they didn’t walk in with, many of which are fatal.  That statistic is unacceptable in modern industrial society.

What can you do to help protect those you love from dangerous hospitals and medical malpractice?  First – access studies like the Leapfrog study to see how hospitals in your region fare.  In addition, look out for the basics:

  • Hygiene – does the hospital have a firm and enforceable hand washing requirement for staff?
  • Adequate staffing – does the hospital have an adequate nursing staff committed to patient safety and does the hospital regularly train their staff on safety procedures?
  • Central line infections – does the hospital have a low rate of central line blood infections?  Central lines are a way of giving medicine to patients, but infections from a central line can be deadly.
  • Slips and falls – does the hospital have a good record of preventing slips and falls?

If you are ever the victim of medical malpractice call a qualified Connecticut medical malpractice lawyer.  A knowledgeable personal injury lawyer can help to ensure that your rights are protected.

RisCassi & Davis has handled hundreds of medical malpractice cases over our more than 65 years serving the people of Connecticut.

What’s more, our Connecticut medical malpractice lawyers have received local and national recognition for our handling of these cases including:

  • Top listing in “The Best Lawyers in America” and “Best Law Firms”
  • Top listing by Martindale-Hubbell as a “New England Top Rated AV Preeminent® Law Firm.
  • Admission of five of our personal injury lawyers as members in the very prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers.  The American College is a professional society of Fellows who become members only by invitation, with admission limited to experienced, outstanding trial lawyers who are unquestionably and eminently qualified as actively engaged trial lawyers.  Only 1% of all trial lawyers in any state are offered admission as members to the College.
  • Listing in New England Super Lawyers published by Connecticut Magazine.  Less than 5% of attorneys in the New England states receive this honor
  • Lifetime Achievement awards from the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association
  • Board Certification by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

We have a great team dedicated to medical malpractice cases.    Our offices are in Hartford but we are available to meet with you in your home or office if that is easier for you.  Please contact us if we can help you.

The consultation is free and there is no obligation of any kind.

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