The Hospital You Choose Matters

In a perfect world, you'd never have to be hospitalized. However, with the world being less than perfect, there is a chance that sometime you'll find yourself in need of hospital care. The chances go up as you age.

You might think that a hospital is a hospital and that if you ever need to go to the hospital, you'll just go to the closest one.

As it turns out, though, different hospitals provide dramatically different levels of care. And that can make a huge difference to you. In fact, top-ranked hospitals have a 70% lower death rate among their patients than low-ranking hospitals.

When choosing a hospital, here are some things to consider:
• Is the hospital accredited? This means that the hospital has met health and safety standards set by a national accrediting agency. You can find out if your local hospitals are accredited by visiting Quality Check.
• What is the nurse-to-patient ratio at the hospital? A higher number of nurses improves the quality of care. A ratio of five patients for fewer per nurse is good. If there are fewer nurses than that, you run the risk of having to wait for medications and having to deal with slower response times from the staff.
• Is the hospital clean? A hospital that isn't clean can increase your risk of infection and other complications.

You may not anticipate needing the services of a hospital any time soon, but knowing which hospitals in your area are best can be a lifesaver in an emergency. It only takes a little bit of time to find out what hospital can best serve your needs and it might be well worth your effort in the future.

Stay well,
Meghan Krohn