The Journal News

Hudson Valley Hospital Center and White Plains Hospital Center had top scores among local hospitals for safety in a new Consumer Reports survey, while Nyack Hospital and Westchester Medical Center posted low grades that put them well below the national average.

Among Westchester, Rockland and Putnam county hospitals in the analysis, Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortlandt scored 58 out of 100. White Plains Hospital Center received 56 and Phelps Memorial Center in Sleepy Hollow followed with 55 points. Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel earned 52.

On the other hand, Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla and Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville both received ratings of 29. Nyack Hospital scored 25. The overall safety scores out of 100 were determined using five measures.

Dr. Michael Rader, medical director at Nyack Hospital, blasted the methodology used for the safety grades arguing that the survey "relies on raw data, is not risk-adjusted for the severity of patient illness, and does not reflect the statistical significance of the data reported."

The Consumer Reports survey, which included 2,591 hospitals nationwide and 136 statewide, calculated a hospital's overall safety score based on patient-outcome data, such as mortality, re-admissions and hospital-acquired infections. The survey also rated hospitals in individual categories. Survey data came from hospital reports submitted to federal health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Lawrence Hospital spokeswoman Tracy Conte took issue with the survey's data, noting that some of it was from 2009.

"The report unfortunately does not account for underlying medical conditions, patient age or if a patient was on palliative care," she said in an email. "There are many factors to hospital safety and Lawrence Hospital Center works continually to improve, as all hospitals do, such as in the area of reducing infection rates where we earned Consumer Report's top rating."

David Billig, a Westchester Medical Center spokesman, did not respond to a request for comment.

Hospitals nationwide in the survey averaged an overall safety grade of 51, said Doris Peter, director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center.

"Across the nation scores range from 11 to 78 — that tells you that you have to check up on your hospital," she told The Journal News. "This lets you see where the potential issues are within hospitals, and it helps hospitals understand where their problems are."

Large rating variations between categories in the same hospital may indicate that some medical teams or units are doing a better job than others, Peter said. She added that it's important for patients and their caretakers to ask questions during hospital stays.

Dr. William J. Higgins, vice president of medical affairs at Hudson Valley Hospital, said "we are extremely proud" to score high in the report, but noted the need for "continuous improvement."

Among local hospitals:

• Hudson Valley Hospital Center received its highest marks for avoiding bloodstream and surgical-site infections. The hospital reported no surgical-site infections in 79 surgical procedures between April 2012 and March 2013.

• White Plains Hospital racked up top marks in several patient experience categories and avoiding bloodstream infections. It also received a high rating in the "avoiding death" category, which is based "on the chance that a heart attack, heart failure, or pneumonia patient will die within 30 days of being admitted to the hospital," according to the report.

• Lawrence Hospital received the top score for avoiding bloodstream infections, but the lowest rating for avoiding death as the result of surgical complications.

• Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern scored 49 for overall safety, with high marks for appropriate use of chest and abdominal scanning, but poor grades for communication with patients.

• Nyack Hospital received poor scores in communicating drug and hospital discharge information to patients, in addition to low scores for avoiding re-admissions and bloodstream infections.

• Westchester Medical Center scored well in avoiding bloodstream infections, but not surgical-site infections. It received a top score in the use of electronic medical records.

Dr. Michael Palumbo, medical director at White Plains Hospital, questioned some of the survey's methodology and the age of the data, but said he was generally satisfied with his hospital's scores.

"When we look at ourselves as ranked against hospitals in Westchester County or New York state, we are looking very good," he said.

The survey is available to Consumer Reports subscribers at:

www.consumerreports.org/cro/howweratehospitals