National Ranking Says Froedtert is Area's Safest for Patient Safety

WAUWATOSA — Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Froedtert Hospital and the Aurora West Allis Medical Center are considered the safest hospitals in the Metro Milwaukee area and among the safest in Wisconsin according to a national ranking released today.

Twenty-six Wisconsin hospitals received a top patient-safety ranking — with none of the 48 state-listed hospitals ranking below average — in a report for Spring 2016 from The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit founded by employers and health-care providers to provide transparency into hospital performance.

Of the 26 A-rated hospitals, only 2 are in Milwaukee and the suburbs. In alphabetical order, they are:

• The Aurora West Allis Medical Center - Received the top score in Wisconsin for their superior ability to prevent MRSA infections. This hospital also received high marks for their low incidences of surgical site infection after colon surgery and Infection in the blood during intensive care unit stay.
• Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Froedtert Hospital - Received an above-average score for their low incidences of MRSA infections. This hospital also received above-average marks for low incidences of infection in the blood and urinary tract during patient intensive care unit stays.

Hospitals in the nationwide report released Monday received a letter grade from A through F based on several factors. Of the 2,571 hospitals studied in the United States, 798 earned an A, 639 earned a B, 957 earned a C, 162 earned a D and 15 earned an F.

In Wisconsin, 48 hospitals were ranked. No Wisconsin hospitals received an F grade.

Leapfrog looked at medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections to determine the grades, judging whether patients risked further injury or infection if they visited a certain hospital. Hospitals with B rating by Leapfrog had a 9 percent higher risk of avoidable death than A hospitals. That number jumps to 35 percent in C hospitals and 50 percent higher in D and F hospitals.

The analysis estimates that 33,459 lives could be saved if every hospital improved its safety record to A standards. Still, the study estimates 43,903 avoidable deaths occur in A-list hospitals each year. Leapfrog estimates 206,021 avoidable deaths occur each year in U.S. hospitals.

Four area hospitals earned B-ratings. They are:

• Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Community Memorial Hospital
• Waukesha Memorial Hospital
• Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - All Saints, Racine
• Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - St. Francis

Six area hospitals earned C-ratings. They are:

• Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center
• Aurora St. Luke’s South Shore
• Columbia St Marys Hospital Milwaukee
• Columbia St. Mary's Ozaukee Hospital
• Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - Franklin
• Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - St. Joseph

» explore the full list of Wisconsin Hospital Patient Safety Rankings

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