Lake Forest-Area Hospitals Rated High: Survey

Four of the five hospitals closest to residents of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff were given ‘A’ grades in a recent hospital safety survey.

The Washington, D.C.-based Leapfrog Group’s annual Hospital Safety Score analyzed medical facilities throughout the nation to ascertain which ones ranked best and least in procedures intended to ensure that patients’ well- being is not compromised while under the care of healthcare professionals.

According to the survey, Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital, Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan and NorthShore University Healthsystem - Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview were all assigned the ‘A’ grade in the spring 2015 survey. The only nearby institution not to get an ‘A’ was NorthShore University Health System - Highland Park Hospital, which earned a ‘B.’

See the full score for Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital

Other hospitals in the vicinity that were ranked include: Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington (A) as well as Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights and NorthShore University Health System - Skokie Hospital (B).

The Leapfrog Group, an employer-backed organization focused on healthcare quality, used various criteria to calculate hospitals’ grades, examining whether physicians and nurses took steps to optimize safety during surgeries, whether patients received adequate post-op care, whether staffing levels were appropriate to prevent threats to patients’ health and whether facilities had clearly defined protocols to protect patients.

Some of the sub-categories rated hospitals on the use of antibiotics to prevent infections and steps to prevent blood clots, as well as the maintenance of surgical wounds, prevention of bed sores and medical staff teamwork to minimize errors.

Image via Shutterstock

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