Study: Bangor’s St. Joe’s Among Safest Maine Hospitals

St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor was one of 11 Maine hospitals to receive the top grade from the hospital safety watchdogs, Leapfrog Group. Leapfrog gives safety scores to more than 2,600 hospitals nationwide. Of those graded, only around 800 will receive top marks.

In Maine, 11 of the 16 hospitals studied received an 'A' grade. In Bangor, Eastern Maine Medical Center received a 'B.'

Maine fared well in the study. It was one of five states with the highest percentage of 'A-rated' hospitals. It was the only state that has maintained its place in the top 5 since the study started in 2012.

St. Joseph Hospital was recognized for its commitment to minimizing the numbers of errors and infections.

On the group’s webpage Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group says, “That takes commitment from every member of the hospital staff, who all deserve thanks and congratulations when their hospitals achieve an ‘A’ Safety Grade.”

The safety measures used by the group to rate the nations acute care facilities come from:

• the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
• the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
•  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey and Health Information Technology Supplement

This kind of safety surveys are intended to help patients and insurance companies to choose the safest local hospitals.