WASHINGTON — The Leapfrog Group, which rates hospitals for quality, safety and transparency, gave an A rating to 32.6% of Minnesota hospitals. A year earlier only 25% earned an A. Here, alpha-listed by score, are the 2022 grades for southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin:
> A: HSHS Sacred Heart (Eau Claire), HSHS St. Joseph (Chippewa Falls), Lakeview (Stillwater), Mayo Clinic (Red Wing), Mayo Clinic (Austin), Mayo Clinic (Methodist in Rochester), Mayo Clinic (St. Marys in Rochester), Mayo Clinic (Eau Claire), Olmsted Medical Center (Rochester), Mayo Clinic (Red Wing), Owatonna Hospital (Owatonna) .
> B: Marshfield (Eau Claire), M Health (Woodwinds in Woodbury), M Health (Fairview in Burnsville), Mile Bluff (Mauston), Northfield (Northfield), Regions (St. Paul).
> C: Aspirus (Riverview in Wisconsin Rapids), Gundersen (LaCrosse), Marshfield (Marshfield), MercyOne (North Iowa in Mason City), SSM Health (St. Clare in Baraboo), United Health,(St. Paul), Winona Health (Winona).
Survey methodology
Leapfrog’s panel of patient safety experts selected 22-metrics of patient safety and weighed them based on evidence, opportunity for improvement, and impact. Half of the score relates to the environment in which patients receive care and how often a hospital gives patients recommended treatment for a medical condition or procedure. Examples of these measures include progress toward using a computerized physician order entry to reduce medication ordering errors, use of intensivists in intensive care units, and hand hygiene practices. The other half of the score relates to what happens to patients while they receive care. Examples of these outcome measures include hospital-acquired conditions and healthcare-associated infections.