Hospital Infections are Down in New Jersey After a Spike During the Pandemic

The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit representing hundreds of the nation’s most influential employers and purchasers of health care, and driven in New Jersey by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, today released the fall 2023 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. The grade reflects preventable medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections that together kill more than 500 people a day in the United States.

In this most recent ranking, New Jersey ranked 13th for percentage of A hospitals, a decrease from the Spring ranking when New Jersey was ranked first. Once again, though, New Jersey had no D or F rated hospitals.

The latest grades are the first to reflect post-pandemic hospital performance and show that New Jersey’s average for three hospital acquired infections has improved. These infections include a type of bloodstream infection called catheter associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI); a urinary tract infection caused by a tube used to drain urine from the bladder (CAUTI); and a staph infection resistant to many antibiotics (MRSA). CLABSI showed significant improvement.

“We’re thankful to see reductions in hospital acquired infections, which can cause serious harm and even kill patients,” said Linda Schwimmer, President and CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute. “We know that advancing patient safety requires unrelenting focus, and so we are pleased that New Jersey’s hospitals have once again shown their commitment to transparency and quality through our state’s high voluntary participation in Leapfrog.”

Adelisa Perez-Hudgins, MSN, RN, Director of Quality for the Quality Institute, noted the drop in the percentage of A-rated hospitals. “The drop in A’s reminds us that quality improvement is a continuous journey that requires attention and persistence. Top rated hospitals are focused on evaluation, education, and supporting people working at all levels of their organization,” Perez-Hudgins said. Here is a breakdown of the Fall 2023 Safety Grades:
Sixty-seven New Jersey hospitals were graded. Two hospitals were not given a grade, Salem Medical Center and Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, because not enough data was available for Leapfrog to assign a grade.

• 24 A hospitals – 36% (11 less A’s than last round)
• 27 B hospitals – 40% (9 more B’s than last round)
• 16 C hospitals – 24% (1 more C than last round)
• 0 D hospital – 0% (same as last round)
• 0 F hospital – 0% (same as last round)

The survey shows that 76% of hospitals (or 51 of 67 hospitals) graded received an A or B grade, compared to 78% in Spring 2023. Five hospitals went up a grade; 17 went down a grade. To date, New Jersey has the highest rate of Leapfrog Hospital Survey participation in the country at 98.6%. One hospital, Salem Medical Center, did not submit a 2023 fall survey.

The Leapfrog Group has a more than 10-year history of assigning letter grades to general hospitals throughout the U.S., based on a hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Hospital Safety Grade results are based on more than 30 national performance measures and are updated each fall and spring.

For more information about the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, as well as individual hospital grades and state rankings, please visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook and via its newsletter.