In The Leapfrog Group‘s latest Safety Grade, New Jersey hospitals took a bit of a dip when it came to how they stacked up against other states for A grades, falling from fall’s No. 9 spot in the national comparison to No. 12. But those numbers only tell part of the story. The Garden State’s percentage of A-graded hospitals actually increased in the spring 2022 Leapfrog list, released May 10, from 42.9% in fall 2021’s report to its current 43.5%.

The Safety Grades assign a letter grade to nearly 3,000 hospitals nationwide, based on more than 30 measures of patient safety. According to The LeapFrog Group, its rating is the only evaluation solely focused on a facility’s ability to protect patents from preventable errors, accidents, injuries and infections. Overall, 70 hospitals from New Jersey were evaluated, with 30 scoring As, 16 with Bs, 18 with Cs and four garnering D marks (one – Bergen New Bridge Medical Center – was included but not graded). No facilities here received an F grade.

According to the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, the Garden State is the only state in the nation with 100% hospital participation in the 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. “The past two years have brought unprecedented challenges to our hospitals, and we’re grateful that every general hospital in our state has remained committed to participating in the Leapfrog survey,” said NJHCQI President and CEO Linda Schwimmer. “At the Quality Institute, we’re here to provide support to any hospital that wants to improve its Safety Grade or maintain a high score.”

A handful of hospitals did in fact see their ratings improve from the fall to spring assessment, with seven moving up to the head of the class to receive A grades from their previous Bs: Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell; Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center; Hackensack Meridian Old Bridge Medical Center; Hackensack Meridian Raritan Bay Medical Center; JFK University Medical Center; Inspira Medical Center Vineland; and Saint Michael’s Medical Center.

For Saint Michael’s, the bump up makes for an even bigger distinction: Its A grade represents not just the only one for a hospital in Newark, but for a hospital in Essex County. “The entire staff of Saint Michael’s is diligently focused on patient safety,” said CEO Dr. Alan Sickles. “This is a well-earned recognition that our staff can celebrate with pride.” The hospital said it received its first LeapFrog A grade in the fall of 2018, which then persisted for five consecutive periods.

“This award reflects the dedication to quality demonstrated by the leaders and staff in the provision of care,” Saint Michael’s Director of Performance Improvement Joy Mitchell said. “Everyone works toward achieving positive outcomes for our patients and the recognition lets the team know they are on the right track.”

Elsewhere in the state’s largest city, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center received a B grade, the same as in LeapFrog’s fall assessment, while University Hospital also maintained its fall grade of a C.

Atlantic Health System had four hospitals tally A grades, something that each location has done for consecutive iterations of the ratings. Morristown Medical Center has maintained an A grade since fall 2015, Chilton Medical Center since fall 2018, Newton Medical Center since spring 2018, and Overlook Medical center since spring 2021. “Safety is the foundation of extraordinary care and the heart of our trusted relationships with patients and their families,” said Atlantic President and CEO Brian Gragnolati. “Our thanks to Leapfrog for recognizing the tireless efforts of our talented health care heroes, who put the safety and well-being of our patients first every day.” The system’s Hackettstown Medical Center maintained its C grade in the latest LeapFrog assessment.

Also posting consecutive high marks: Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, which for the fourth period in a row maintained its LeapFrog A. “It’s an honor to be recognized with Leapfrog’s highest safety grade,” President and CEO Leslie Hirsch said. “So many individuals at Saint Peter’s are responsible for the efforts that got us to this point today. Their unwavering commitment to deliver quality medical care without compromise and under the most challenging conditions is the reason Saint Peter’s has become a destination for exemplary health care in central New Jersey.”

In addition to As for its hospitals in Perth Amboy and Old Bridge, Hackensack Meridian Health had five other locations get the top score in the spring assessment: Bayshore Medical Center, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean University Medical Center, Palisades Medical Center and Riverview Medical Center.

“I am incredibly proud of Hackensack Meridian Health’s hospitals for everything our team members are doing to enhance patient safety and provide high-quality, compassionate care,” said HMH Chief Executive Officer Robert Garrett. Added Dr. Jose Azar, executive vice president and chief quality officer, “Our team members are continuing to transform the way care is delivered by striving for excellence and enhancing quality and safety standards across the network. We are honored to receive this recognition and will continue to do everything we can to provide exceptional care to our patients.”

Going down

The number of hospitals that saw their marks improve from the fall 2021 LeapFrog assessment was less than those that were downgraded, with eight coming up short over their previous scoring. However, there were no Fs recorded for New Jersey hospitals in the fall, either.

In South Jersey, Inspira Medical Center Elmer fell from an A to a B, but the system’s other facilities – Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill and Inspira Medical Center Vineland – both received As, with the latter location improving upon its B grade from the fall. “At Inspira, we are committed to providing a high-quality, safe and compassionate experience to all our patients and the community,” said President and CEO Amy Mansue. “We are proud of this recognition from The Leapfrog Group – exemplifying the commitment and excellence of all our employees at Inspira Health who are providing safe and reliable care within our facilities.”

Like the Elmer location, the majority of hospitals that saw their ratings deteriorate dropped from an A grade to a B – the rest being Hackensack University Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset and Saint Clare’s Hospital of Dover.

The lowest grade of any New Jersey hospital in the spring LeapFrog rankings was a D. For two of the four that received it, the letter was a downgrade from CareWell Health Medical Center’s and Holy Name Medical Center’s Cs in fall 2021. The remaining D-graded hospitals in the 2021 spring assessment are St. Joseph’s University Medical Center and St. Joseph’s Wayne Medical Center. Meanwhile, CarePoint Health’s Bayonne Medical Center fell from a B to a C grade.

According to The LeapFrog Group, the spring grades offer a glimpse into the impact COVID-19 has had on patient safety, and it hasn’t been good. The organization said several measures in the assessment showed significant decline —an indication of how patient care has done so as well due to the strains on the health care system and its workforce, particularly since the onset of COIVD-19. Some of the data included in the spring Grade “reflects a pandemic-era timeframe.”

“The health care workforce has faced unprecedented levels of pressure during the pandemic, and as a result, patients’ experience with their care appears to have suffered,” said The LeapFrog Group President and CEO Leah Binder. “We commend the workforce for their heroic efforts these past few years and now strongly urge hospital leadership to recommit to improved care—from communication to responsiveness—and get back on track with patient safety outcomes.”