Northern Light Health’s Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor has again received top marks from a national patient advocacy group.
The Leapfrog Group on Thursday released its biannual report cards for the nation’s hospitals, evaluating them on all aspects of patient care from nurses’ bedside manner and communication to prevention of infections and other complications during and after procedures.
In a statement Thursday, The Leapfrog Group said that medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections harm 1 in 4 patients who receive in-hospital care, causing as many as 250,000 deaths a year.
Northern Light’s flagship hospital received an A, marking the fifth straight cycle when EMMC got an A. In fall 2022, The Leapfrog group gave the hospital a C and didn’t grade the hospital that spring.
Hospitals that get an A excel on 22 evidence-based measures and actively protect patients from harm and significantly improve patient outcomes.
EMMC scored above average for preventing surgical complications and medical errors; average or above average for preventing infections and safety problems; above average for leadership, bedside care and specially trained staff; but received low markings for how doctors, nurses and staff communicate with patients.
“Every day, our multi-disciplinary teams gather to ensure their efforts are aligned, focusing on complex cases and addressing any safety concerns,” Ava Collins, EMMC’s president, said in a Thursday statement. “These meetings foster an environment of continuous improvement, enabling EMMC to enhance the quality of care by identifying patient needs, determining appropriate next steps, and consistently adapting our practices to uphold our unwavering commitment to patient safety.”
EMMC was among six Maine hospitals to get an A, including MaineHealth’s Maine Medical Center in Portland and Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, Covenant Health’s St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston
Three Maine hospitals received a B — MaineHealth’s Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick and Northern Light’s Maine Coast Hospital in Ellsworth and Mercy Hospital in Portland. Five hospitals got C’s — Cary Medical Center in Caribou, Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta and Northern Light’s A.R. Gould Hospital in Presque Isle.
