Study Reveals Virginians Have Among The Best Access to ‘Grade A’ Hospitals

  • National study identifies the no. of people in each state to top-grade hospitals.
  • Virginia has 199,885 people per top-grade hospital.
  • Infographic showing state ranking of accessibility to ‘Grade A’ safety scoring hospitals.

It’s a concerning statistic* that over 22,000 deaths in the U.S. each year are a result of preventable deaths during patient hospitalization. Medical error often involves factors such as poor management or monitoring of medical conditions, errors linked to surgery and other procedures, and diagnostic errors; and while healthcare workers are dedicated to their medical duties, these errors may also be related to factors such as  short-staffing, system defects or error in judgement.

Virginians have among the best access to ‘Grade A’ hospitals in the country. The Old Dominion emerged in 3rd position overall, with a rate of 199,885 people per ‘Grade A’ hospital. Virginia has a total of 73 hospitals in the state, of which a significant 59.2% (43 hospitals) scored ‘Grade A’ in terms of safety.

Duffy and Duffy a medical malpractice law firm, used the ‘Hospital Safety Grade’**, along with state population data, to determine a state ranking from of where Americans have the best access to ‘Grade A’ level hospitals in terms of medical safety. The Safety Grade allocates a safety score (with A being the highest possible score, and F, the lowest) for hospitals in each state, which provides information on how likely patients are to experience injuries, accidents, harm, or error during hospitalization. Combined with state population figures, the data analysis compiled a ranking from 1 to 50, indicating which states have the greatest access to top grade healthcare.

In 1st position is Mississippi, with the best access to safe healthcare – it has a rate of 192,308 people per ‘Grade A’ hospital. Mississippi has a total of 44 hospitals in the state, of which 35% (15 hospitals) had ‘Grade A’ safety scores.

Infographic showing state ranking of accessibility to ‘Grade A’ safety scoring hospitals

States with the greatest accessibility to ‘Grade A’ level hospitals:

1.     Mississippi: 192,308 people per top-grade hospital.

2.     Maine: 194,018 people per top-grade hospital.

3.     Virginia: 199,885 people per top-grade hospital.

4.     North Carolina: 203,064 people per top-grade hospital.

5.     Pennsylvania: 206,652 people per top-grade hospital.

States with the lowest accessibility to ‘Grade A’ level hospitals:

46.  Delaware: 997,621 people per top-grade hospital.

47.  Iowa: 3,011,789 people per top-grade hospital.

48.  North Dakota: no top-grade hospitals in state.

49.  Wyoming: no top-grade hospitals in the state.

50.  West Virginia: no top-grade hospitals in the state.

Medical emergencies can occur at any time and are often unpredictable in nature. As a patient, you would naturally want to ensure that you (or your loved ones) are in the best care possible, with the least risk to your health in terms of preventable harm or injury,’ says a spokesperson for Duffy & Duffy.

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