Business & Tech

Stacking Up: St. Joseph's, Northside in National Hospital Survey

See what patients said. An expert believes hospital deaths from errors in patient safety is one of the three leading causes of death in the country.

If you’ve ever endured a hospital stay, you might have a story to tell.

Patient experiences at St. Joseph’s and Northside are detailed in a Consumer Reports story rating U.S. Hospitals.

There’s good news and bad news for most hospitals in the report. “Safety needs to be near or the top priority,” said Dr. John Santa, director of Consumer Reports Health Rating Center, during an appearance on “CBS This Morning.” He added, “The best hospitals…aren’t doing as well as we would all think.”

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The top hospital in the survey - located in Billings, Montana - only scored a 72 out of 100.

New York Presbyterian Hospital, the focus of TV docu-drama, “NY Med,” which debuts tonight and features Dr. Mehmet Oz and other surgeons performing amazing heart surgery, scored a 32.

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Hospitals were rated on infections, safety, readmission after a hospital stay, too many imaging tests, common complications and death rates.

Peter Provonost, M.D., an expert in hospital safety, told Consumer Reports that he believes hospital deaths from errors in patient safety is one of the three leading causes of death in the country.

St. Joe's and Northside Hospitals were not fully rated. Georgia does not report infection rates to the public, the story said.

Do you have a memorable hospital experience? Tell us below in the comments.

Here’s what Consumer Reports research showed for St. Joe’s, Northside and Grady Hospitals. Visit the website for more detailed information.

St. Joseph’s Hospital

  • Heart-attack patients have a 17 percent chance of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.
  • Heart-failure patients have a 23 percent chance of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.
  • Pneumonia patients have a 15 percent chance of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.

86 percent of patients said they were told what to watch for after leaving the hospital.

94 percent of patients said that doctors always or usually communicated well.

93 percent of patients said that nurses always or usually communicated well.

91 percent of patients said that their pain was always or usually well controlled.

82 percent of patients said that staff always or usually provided help quickly.

88 percent of patients said that their room and bathrooms were always or usually clean.

87 percent of patients said that the area around their rooms were always or usually quiet at night.

Northside Hospital

  • Heart-attack patients have a 20 percent chance of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.
  • Heart-failure patients have a 24 percent chance of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.
  • Pneumonia patients have a 18 percent chance of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.

83 percent of patients said that they were told what to watch for after leaving the hospital.

80 percent of patients said that staff always or usually explained about new medications.

96 percent of patients said that doctors always or usually communicated well.

96 percent of patients said that nurses always or usually communicated well.

95 percent of patients said that their pain was always or usually well controlled.

89 percent of patients said that staff always or usually provided help quickly.

93 percent of patients said that their room and bathrooms were always or usually clean.

90 percent of patients said that the area around their rooms were always or usually quiet at night.

Grady Hospital

  • Heart-attack patients have a 21 percent chance of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.
  • Heart-failure patients have a 24 percent chance of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.
  • Pneumonia patients have a 19 percent chance of being readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.

76 percent of patients said that they were told what to watch for after leaving the hospital.

76 percent of patients said that staff always or usually explained about new medications.

95 percent of patients said that doctors always or usually communicated well.

88 percent of patients said that nurses always or usually communicated well.

87 percent of patients said that their pain was always or usually well controlled.

71 percent of patients said that staff always or usually provided help quickly.

79 percent of patients said that their room and bathrooms were always or usually clean.

86 percent of patients said that the area around their rooms were always or usually quiet at night.



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