The latest report from Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, released in Fall 2023, highlights the commendable performance of local hospitals in and around the Sebastian area. Leapfrog, a national nonprofit, specializes in gathering, analyzing, and disseminating hospital safety and quality data.
In this report, Steward Sebastian River Medical Center and Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital both received a ‘B’ grade. These grades, ranging from A to F, are given to general hospitals across the U.S. based on 27 criteria, including preventable errors, injuries, infections, and systems to avert these issues. These evaluations are updated biannually, in spring and fall.
In the Fall 2022 report, Sebastian River Medical Center received a ‘B’ grade, demonstrating consistency, while Cleveland Clinic improved from a ‘C’ rating, marking progress from the previous year. Overall, the two hospitals in Indian River County have improved their safety ratings.
Steward Sebastian River Medical Center (B Rating)
Sebastian River Medical Center faced issues with surgical safety, including bed sores, patient falls, and communication about medications and discharge.
However, it excelled in preventing various infections and measures like blood clot prevention, handwashing, medication safety, and teamwork to avoid errors. The center also performed well in leadership effectiveness, nursing care, and ICU patient care training.
Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital (B Rating)
Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital had shortcomings in hand hygiene, medication and discharge communication, teamwork, error prevention leadership, and patient care communication.
However, the hospital performed better than average in preventing surgical infections and excelled in overall safety, particularly in reducing patient falls and blood clots.
Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade Overview
Leapfrog annually requests hospitals to submit quality and safety data. This data and information from public sources like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services form the basis of the biannual Safety Grade.
The grade focuses on patient safety, covering 27 measures, including infections, safety issues like falls and bedsores, and surgical complications.
The grade also considers hospitals’ preventive measures and protocols, such as nursing leadership, computerized order entry to reduce medication errors, hand hygiene, adherence to medical protocols, ICU staffing, and patient experience measures related to safety outcomes.
The Safety Grade does not include quality measures like mortality rates, specialty ratings, or readmission rates.
