MACON, Ga. — Some of Central Georgia's largest hospitals are below average at keeping their patients safe from errors, accidents, injuries and infection.
That's according to semi-annual ratings released by a national health-care analyst.
The Leapfrog Group gave C grades to Medical Center-Navicent Health, Houston Medical Center and Navicent Baldwin.
That means their numbers rank below average nationwide.
At Central Georgia's largest hospital, Leapfrog said the Medical Center-Navicent ranked poorly for preventing infections, for surgical problems, for communication and for staff hand washing.
The Medical Center-Navicent, Health has consistently gotten Cs in past years. Navicent-Baldwin improved its score from a D last year. And Houston Medical Center dropped from a B last fall to C.
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Some other Central Georgia hospitals fared better: Coliseum Medical Centers earned an A.
And Leapfrog awarded Dublin's Fairview Park and Coliseum Northside both Bs.
The analysts said they ranked more than 2,500 hospitals nationwide on 28 factors.
Those are based partly on accident and injury statistics reported to the federal government, and partly on surveys.
Leapfrog says they compile the annual survey to help people make better choices about healthcare and to communicate with doctors and hospital staff about safety
They say as many as 440,000 people die every year from preventable errors in hospitals.