RWJ University Hospital Somerset Gets 'B' Safety Grade

SOMERVILLE, NJ — For the second time in a row, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset received a "B" grade in hospital safety, according to Fall 2022 Hospital Safety Grades report released Wednesday The Leapfrog Group.

The hospital in Somerville previously dropped from an "A" grade to a "B" grade, according to the Spring 2022 Hospital Safety Grades report.

Previously the hospital rated an "A" grade seven times in a row.

"Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset has earned 13 'A' ratings for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, including 7 consecutive 'A' ratings from 2018 through 2021. We are committed to a culture of safety and are constantly evaluating our performance to identify ways to continue to enhance the quality of patient care," said Kathleen Roberts with RWJUH Somerset.

The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit healthcare watchdog group, grades hospitals twice a year, assigning letter grades from "A" to "F" based on each hospital's ability to protect patients from preventable errors, accidents, injuries and infections.

In New Jersey, 33 hospitals received an A, 20 hospitals received a B, 14 hospitals received a C and 3 hospitals received a D grade. Zero hospitals received an F. See the full list of hospitals and how they ranked here.

Here is a look at how RWJ Somerset performed in the following five categories:

Infections

• MRSA Infection - Average
• C. diff Infection - Below Average
• Infection in the blood - Below Average
• Infection in the urinary tract - Above Average
• Surgical site infection after colon surgery - Below Average
• Sepsis infection after surgery - Average

Problems with Surgery

• Dangerous object left in patient's body - Above Average
• Surgical wound splits open - Above Average
• Death from serious treatable complications - Above Average
• Blood Leakage - Below Average
• Kidney injury after surgery - Above Average
• Serious breathing problem - Above Average
• Accidental cuts and tears - Above Average

Safety problems

• Harmful events - Above Average
• Dangerous bed sores - Below Average
• Patient falls and injuries - Below Average
• Falls causing broken hips - Above Average
• Collapsed lung - Above Average
• Dangerous blood clot - Above Average
• Air or gas bubble in the blood - Above Average

Practices to Prevent Errors

• Doctors order medications through a computer - Above Average
• Safe medication administration - Above Average
• Handwashing - Above Average
• Communication about medicines - Below Average
• Communication about discharge - Below Average
• Staff work together to prevent errors - Above Average

Doctors, Nurses and Hospital Staff

• Effective leadership to prevent errors - Above Average
• Enough qualified nurses - Above Average
• Specially trained doctors care for ICU patients - Above Average
• Communication with doctors - Below Average
• Communication with nurses - Above Average
• Responsiveness of hospital staff- Below Average

With the release of its fall report, The Leapfrog Group has analyzed hospital safety data for a decade. Most hospitals have improved over time under more public scrutiny, Leapfrog Group President and CEO Leah Binder said in a news release.

“For a long time, the healthcare community tried to improve safety, but progress stalled,” Binder said. “The big difference over this decade is that for the first time, we publicly reported each hospital’s record on patient safety, and that galvanized the kind of change we all hoped for.
“It’s not enough change, but we are on the right track,” she said.

The full methodology for the 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is available online.

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