Lee Memorial Hospital, Ft. Myers Florida. This 330 bed acute care hospital is highly regarded by the folks in Lee County, but you won't find it on the "best hospital" list. Photo by Blogfinger
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, FACC
About 15 years ago, a patient I knew had a heart operation performed at a prestigious New York City university medical center. While he was there, he sustained a life threatening infectious complication due to an error, resulting in an extra 2 ½ weeks in the hospital.
This story illustrates that you can be a patient in one of the best hospitals in the world and still have a substantial risk of a medical mistake. It is estimated that about 33% of hospitalized patients have an adverse result, and this may be an underestimation. USA Today has reported (August 7, 2011) on Medicare data that shows high death rates in some prestigious institutions. USA today article regarding errors in top hospitals
No doubt you have seen magazine articles about which hospitals are the “best”, but what defines “best”, and how can these lists help you when most hospitals are not listed? Furthermore, how can a hospital with high death rates be considered “best? And finally, can your local hospital provide excellent care even if it is not on the list?
Most medical situations that require hospitalization include common elective and emergency situations such as surgery for gall bladder disease, medical management of diverticulitis, and acute therapy for a heart attack. Obviously, if you have an urgent condition, you most go local. But when things become elective, you have a choice.
In my opinion, most issues that require hospitalization can be ably and safely done in a community hospital provided that hospital is known to follow stringent safety and quality protocols. A fine community hospital hires the best staff it can find— especially in the area of nursing; it properly staffs the med-surg floors; it has modern equipment; it places the patient’s interest first and treats patients as individuals; and it has a board certified medical staff , ideally including hospitalists.
If you have such a hospital in your area, and there are many such places, and if you do not require technologies or expertise that are only available at major centers, then go to your nearby hospital and stay away from the massive institutions where you can get into trouble despite their fine reputations.
How to be sure about your local hospital? You could find information within Medicare’s data bank, at the web site for the American Hospital Association or in the sub-data lists of publications such as US News and World Report, but the information is difficult to translate into an individual decision. Aside from the “best ” lists, many hospitals are simply categorized as “average.” What can you do with that?
At this point in time, the only other answer is to speak to medical professionals in your area, check the internet for information, and ask former patients. There’s a good chance that you will discover that your local hospital will serve your needs admirably. But if you have a rare and baffling problem, then get on a plane to the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) or any other hospital on the “best” list that has a special interest in your condition.