THOMASVILLE- The Leapfrog Group recently revealed their score for John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital, following a standard based review based on measures of processes, structures and alignment with existing national standards or performance targets. 

Archbold Memorial Hospital showed room for improvement with a D letter grade. 

The Leapfrog Group has several categories they look into in order to develop an overall score. 

In each category, hospitals can either achieve the standard, show considerable achievement, show some achievement or show limited achievement. 

Achieved the standard is the highest a hospital can score in a category, while limited achievement is the lowest. 

Archbold did achieve the standard in many practices, but also showed gaps with limited achievement spread throughout. 

Patient-Centered Care and billing ethics both achieved the standard, along with many subcategories in preventing and responding to patient’s harm. Unfortunately, handwashing showed limited achievement. 

The Leapfrog Group explained that hospitals should regularly monitor hand hygiene practices for everyone interacting with patients and give feedback to ensure compliance. 

Archbold’s Critical Care team achieved the standard, ensuring intensivisits are present on-site at least eight hours a day, seven day per week. 

Healthcare-Associated infections showed room for improvement. 

Infection in the blood showed limited achievement. The hospital’s standardized infection in the blood ratio is 2.024, while MRSA infections showed only some achievement. According to statistics, the hospital’s standardized infection ratio for MRSA is 1.448. 

In order to achieve the standard, the standardized infection rate should be 0.00. 

Maternity care showed considerable achievement, with most subcategories achieving the standard. However, Cesarean Sections showed limited achievement. 

According to The Leapfrog Group, a Cesarean Section is defined as a first- time mother giving birth to a single baby, at full-term, in the head down position. Hospitals should have a rate of C-sections of 23.6% or less. Archbold is clocking in with Cesarean Sections taking place 37.4% of the time. 

Despite room for improvement, in maternity care, Archbold makes up for it in their medication safety, achieving the standard in most every sub-category. 

When it came time to review Archbold’s Complex Adult and Pediatric surgeries, the hospital saw considerable room for achievement. 

On Open Aortic procedures, the hospital was given a limited achievement. It is recommended that the hospital perform at least 10 procedures annually, and as part of their process for privileging surgeons, ensure that each surgeon performs at least 7 procedures annually.

This was also the case for Lung Resection for Cancer, Pancreatic Resection for Cancer and Rectal Cancer Surgery.

This is the first time the hospital has received a D letter grade since 2019. 

Archbold is aware of their score and stated that “Leapfrog is one of multiple organizations with their own methodology for comparing hospital quality.” 

According to the hospital, Archbold seeks to use information gained from various sources, including Leapfrog, the CMS Star Rating on hospitalcompare.gov and others to keep them focused on improving their quality and providing the safest, most effective care possible. 

Archbold alleges that the data Leapfrog is using is nearly three years old, but Leapfrog provided a data table with results from an August 2022 survey they completed in regard to hand hygiene. 

“Hand hygiene is based on their 2022 Leapfrog Hospital Survey submitted as of August 31,” said Director of Health Care Ratings Katie Stewart. 

Archbold stated they have engaged with state partners and other Georgia hospitals to ensure they provide the highest standard of care and concluded they have a plan of action for monitoring hand hygiene. 

The hospital will have another opportunity to raise their safety rating in the spring, when another survey is conducted and reduce these issues.