The 88-bed Lehigh Regional Medical Center, the only privately operated acute-care hospital in Lehigh Acres, earned a failing grade for safety Monday from a national hospital watchdog group, making it one of only 20 U.S. health centers to score so poorly.
Leapfrog Group assigned an “F” to the Lehigh Acres hospital in its second ever score from the group.
Gary Bell, Lehigh Regional CEO were not immediately available to comment.
Leapfrog’s report on the hospital includes below-average scores for its computerized physician test and medication order entry system, physician and nurse staffing, employee training, staff communication, hand washing hygiene and providing medical information to patients during their discharges.
Leapfrog Group founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.
Lehigh Regional is owned by Prime Healthcare Services Inc. of Ontario, California. Prime Healthcare purchased the hospital in February from the Franklin, Tennessee-based Community Health Systems. That company had acquired Lehigh Regional in 2013 as part of its $7.6 billion takeover of HMA.
Other Southwest Florida hospitals fared much better.
Southwest Florida hospital safety grades
| VENICE REGIONAL BAYFRONT HEALTH | D |
| Bayfront Health Port Charlotte | D |
| Sarasota Memorial Hospital | A |
| Lehigh Regional Medical Center | F |
| Doctors Hospital of Sarasota | A |
| Fawcett Memorial Hospital | B |
| Cape Coral Hospital | A |
| Englewood Community Hospital | A |
| NCH Baker Hospital | B |
| Healthpark Medical Center | B |
| Gulf Coast Medical Center | B |
I knew it! I went there about a year ago with what I thought was just a terrible sinus infection. Only saw a PA and only took my temp and blood pressure. Was sent home with a script. Later the same day, had to be transported to Gulf Coast in an ambulance because I was so sick. They did blood work immediately and found that my sodium level was dangerously low. Within an hour I was transported to ICU where I stayed for three days. Drs. said it was so low, I could have died!