by James C. Sherlock 
The latest Leapfrog Group safety grades are out for 72 of Virginia’s hospitals.
The Leapfrog Hospital surveys are the next-best source to the ratings based on broader data offered by Medicare Compare. Leapfrog Group data accuracy measures are explained here.
The grades represent cumulative scores of hospital safety, quality, and efficiency measures assessed by an organization founded to improve patient safety.
We’ll examine the just-posted scores for Virginia hospitals.
The grades are a mixed bag.
Virginia dropped from second in the nation to ninth, still a good showing. There were no “D” scores this time.
Some of the 27 “A” grades were expected. All five of Inova’s hospitals; eight of HCA’s 13.
Good news on the upside at rural hospitals:
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- Ballad Health’s Smyth County Community Hospital in Marion: “A”
- LewisGale Hospital Alleghany in Low Moor: “A”
- Independent and financially-challenged Buchanan General Hospital in Grundy: “B”.
- Centra Southside in Farmville: “B”
- LewisGale Hospital Pulaski: “B”
- Riverside Shore Memorial in Onancock: “B”
- LifePoint’s Twin County Regional Healthcare in Galax and Wythe County Community Hospital in Wytheville: “B”
- VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital: “B”
Of the “C” graded hospitals below, many were also where Virginians unfortunately might expect.
- The HCA hospital in Fredericksburg;
- Mary Washington Healthcare’s two hospitals in Fredericksburg and Stafford (Note: Looking at the “A” and “B” hospitals across Virginia, it is hard to assess what the issue is at Mary Washington Healthcare and in the Fredericksburg-Stafford area in general. HCA, as is its business model, will take steps with its hospital there.);
- Sovah Health Martinsville;
- VCU Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill (rural);
- Bon Secours’ Southside Regional in Petersburg and Southampton Memorial Hospital in Franklin, each of which it took over from failed ownership from Community Health Services (CHS). The third ex-CHS hospital, Bon Secours Southern Virginia Medical Center in Emporia, was not rated;
- Sentara Hospitals in South Boston and Harrisonburg;
- Ballad Health’s Lonesome Pine in Big Stone Gap and Johnson Memorial in Abingdon;
- Lifepoint’s Fauquier Hospital (up from “D” three years in a row) in Warrenton and Clinch Valley Hospital in Richlands;
- Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, an independent battling Sentara’s regional monopoly;
- Carilion Roanoke Memorial.
Others not rated:
- Virginia’s Critical Access Hospitals
- Bath County Community in Hot Springs
- Bon Secours Rappahannock in Kilmarnock
- Carilion Giles in Pearisburg
- Carillion Rockbridge in Lexington
- Dickenson Community in Clintwood
- Valley Health Page in Luray
- Valley Health Shenandoah in Woodstock
- Stand-alone Children’s Hospitals Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk and Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents in New Kent
- Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital
- Ballad’s Russell County Hospital
All-in-all, well done.