Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Sewage Leaks in DC Hospital Operating Rooms

The next time you are tempted to think, "all hospitals are equally safe," stop and think of this story about sewage leaks in the operating rooms at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. These leaks are cited as a cause of patients acquiring infections while in the hospital and the cause of the death of a woman from Northern Virginia. 

Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade assigned Washington Hospital Center a safety grade of a D the last four times safety was evaluated.  The results clearly show they scored below average in infections. Sibley Memorial Hospital is just six miles away and it earned a B. Knowing this, where would you choose to seek care? 

I understand people put a lot of trust in their doctors and generally go wherever their doctors recommend, but it's up to you to choose where to seek care. I'm not exaggerating when I say this can be a life and death decision. 

The good news is that the information you need to make a well-informed decision is easy to obtain. Just go to Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade and search by state, city, zip code or hospital name. Leapfrog even has an app you can load onto your phone, so this information is always at your fingertips.  

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