Approximately two months ago, The Leapfrog Group released their biannual Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. This study uses a combination of surveys and an objective evaluation system to assign letter grades (A through F) to hospitals in every state and Washington, D.C. The evaluation system looks at rates of medical errors, including the rates at which infections and injuries take place in hospitals for patients already admitted. Unfortunately, California hospitals did not do our state proud when it comes to the quality of hospital care for Californians.
Choosing a hospital for you and your family is an important decision. While it’s true that in a life-or-death situation you are often forced to choose a hospital based solely upon distance, in most instances you have a practical choice as to where you seek medical care. As the Leapfrog ratings show, the closest hospital could be far from the best. While California ranked a disturbing No. 31 nationwide in their study, the hospitals in our state run from “A” ratings all the way down to failing grades of “F.”
The good news is that nearly 28 percent of California hospitals earned “A” grades. The bad news is that California is one of seven states plus Washington, D.C. that has hospitals that completely flunked in the ratings. Even worse, without investigating a hospital before you or your family need its services, you simply don’t know if you are about to be admitted to one of the best or one of the worst. The time to educate yourself on the quality of hospitals close to you is not in the moment that you need one, but rather well ahead of time. The Leapfrog Group has made it easy to research particular hospitals and their letter grades as assigned in the study.
Lastly, considering the sad rankings of California hospitals overall, it is no surprise to anyone that medical malpractice is a common occurrence in The Golden State. If you experience an injury or secondary infection while being treated at a hospital, or your medical outcome is not what you were promised, you want The Trial Law Offices of Bradley I. Kramer, M.D., Esq., on your side.
As both a medical doctor and a plaintiff’s personal injury lawyer, there is no other medical malpractice attorney in Los Angeles who will fight harder for client results than Dr. Kramer. The lawyers at The Trial Law Offices of Bradley I. Kramer, M.D., Esq., regularly represent clients with serious hospital-caused injuries throughout California, New York, Illinois, Nevada, and Arizona.
For a free consultation with a Los Angeles medical malpractice lawyer, call (310) 289-2600 or visit us online to have your case reviewed today.