NoVA Hospitals Receive High Marks In Leapfrog's 2021 Hospital Safety Grade

VIRGINIA — How safe are hospitals in Virginia?

The answer varies from hospital to hospital, but you more than likely can find at least one nearby facility where you’re in good hands, according to new safety grades released by a national watchdog organization focused on improving health care in the United States.

The Leapfrog Group on Wednesday released the fall 2021 Hospital Safety Grade, which assigns a letter grade to the nation’s general hospitals based on how well they prevent medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections that kill or harm patients.

This year’s list reviewed just over 2,900 hospitals, the largest number of hospitals ever graded.

Out of 73 hospitals in Virginia that were studied, 41 hospitals received an "A" grade, while only one hospital received a "D" grade. No hospitals in Virginia were assigned an "F" grade by The Leapfrog Group.

In Washington, D.C., no hospitals received an "A" grade for safety. The only hospital to receive a "B" grade was Sibley Memorial Hospital.

Three hospitals in D.C. received "C" grades: George Washington University Hospital, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center. One D.C. hospital received a "D" grade from The Leapfrog Group and one received an "F" grade.

RELATED: 12 Virginia Hospitals Ranked Among 2021's Best

“As the pandemic continues, we all have heightened awareness of the importance of hospitals in our communities and in our lives,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, in a news release. “It is critical that all hospitals put patient safety first."

Now we have more information on more hospitals than ever before, so people can protect themselves and their families,” Binder said.

Here’s a snapshot of how hospitals in Northern Virginia and the Fredericksburg were graded:

Inova Alexandria Hospital
Overall Grade: A

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
Overall Grade: A

Inova Fairfax Hospital
Overall Grade: A

Inova Loudoun Hospital
Overall Grade: A

Inova Mount Vernon Hospital
Overall Grade: A

Novant Health UVA Health System Haymarket Medical Center
Overall Grade: A

Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center
Overall Grade: A

Reston Hospital Center
Overall Grade: A

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center
Overall Grade: A

Virginia Hospital Center--Arlington Health System
Overall Grade: A

Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center
Overall Grade: B

StoneSprings Hospital Center
Overall Grade: B

Mary Washington Hospital
Overall Grade: C

Stafford Hospital
Overall Grade: C

To determine each hospital’s grade, a panel of medical experts selected 30 evidence-based measures of patient safety such as postoperative sepsis, blood leakage and kidney injury. They then determined the weight of each measure based on evidence, opportunity for improvement and patient impact.

Data on each measure was collected through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Information from the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, available to all hospitals to complete, also affects grades.

Currently, Leapfrog does not assign grades to military or Veterans Administration hospitals, critical access hospitals, specialty hospitals, children’s hospitals or outpatient surgery centers.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade methodology has been peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Patient Safety.

The full methodology for the 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is available online.

Findings from the fall 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade include:

• Thirty-two percent of hospitals received an "A” grade; 26 percent received a "B," 35 percent received a "C," 7 percent received a "D," and less than 1 percent received an "F.”

• The five states with the highest percentages of "A" hospitals are Virginia, North Carolina, Idaho, Massachusetts and Colorado.

• There were no "A" hospitals in Delaware, Washington, D.C. and North Dakota.