Naples, Fla.-based NCH Healthcare System is suing Leapfrog Group after the company gave the healthcare system a "D" for patient safety, according to CBS affiliate WINK News.
Leapfrog, a nonprofit watchdog group, released its 2019 Hospital Safety Grades Nov. 7, assigning "A" through "F" letter grades for patient safety performance to hospitals voluntarily participating in the survey. NCH's lawsuit was filed before the publication was released.
NCH said the poor rating for patient safety is "false and misleading," according to court documents cited by WINK News. The healthcare system said it would comment once litigation is over, NCH told WINK News.
Leapfrog methodology has been reviewed and refined for more than seven years by national patient safety experts, Leah Binder, Leapfrog president and CEO, said in an Oct. 31 statement.
She cited Leapfrog's First Amendment rights to publish grades for NCH hospitals.
In response to the lawsuit, Ms. Binder said, "NCH resources would be better spent on initiatives to improve patient safety." She added that NCH referenced missing data, even though it was the hospital's responsibility to report the information.
NCH Healthcare System did not respond to several calls and an email from Becker's Healthcare seeking comment on the lawsuit.
Leapfrog, a nonprofit watchdog group, released its 2019 Hospital Safety Grades Nov. 7, assigning "A" through "F" letter grades for patient safety performance to hospitals voluntarily participating in the survey. NCH's lawsuit was filed before the publication was released.
NCH said the poor rating for patient safety is "false and misleading," according to court documents cited by WINK News. The healthcare system said it would comment once litigation is over, NCH told WINK News.
Leapfrog methodology has been reviewed and refined for more than seven years by national patient safety experts, Leah Binder, Leapfrog president and CEO, said in an Oct. 31 statement. She cited Leapfrog's First Amendment rights to publish grades for NCH hospitals.
In response to the lawsuit, Ms. Binder said, "NCH resources would be better spent on initiatives to improve patient safety." She added that NCH referenced missing data, even though it was the hospital's responsibility to report the information.
NCH Healthcare System did not respond to several calls and an email from Becker's Healthcare seeking comment on the lawsuit.