Baltimore has some of the most advanced medical facilities in the country. However, not every hospital is up to standard.
Hospitals in Baltimore were ranked 30th in the country for health and safety in the biannual Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades Report, which was released last week.
While ten facilities received an impressive A rating for their high levels of patient care, the majority of hospitals received average ratings, and five received an unsatisfactory D.
Every year, over 400,000 people die as a result of medical errors, many of which could have been avoided.
Overview of the Best Hospitals in Baltimore
Hospitals have an obligation to prioritize their patient’s health and safety, and even minor lapses in safety protocols can have disastrous consequences.
Patients should be made aware when hospitals lack safety measures. People in Baltimore can take the first step toward avoiding avoidable medical errors by knowing which local hospitals to trust with their health and which to avoid in an emergency.
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This spring, the Leapfrog Group evaluated 40 Maryland hospitals, and 3 hospitals in Baltimore were among the Grade A rank, based on their overall performance in preventing avoidable medical errors and injuries. These are the hospitals that were evaluated and how they fared:
A Grade
- Anne Arundel Medical Center, Annapolis
- Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore
- Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore
- MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, Leonardtown
- Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore
- Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Salisbury
- Suburban Hospital, Bethesda
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
- University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, La Plata
- The University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, Towson
B Grade
- Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center, Rockville
- Adventist HealthCare Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma Park
- Calvert Health Medical Center, Prince Frederick
- Carroll Health Center, Westminster
- Frederick Memorial Hospital, Frederick
- Garrett Regional Medical Center, Oakland
- Howard Country General Hospital, Columbia
- MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, Baltimore
- MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, Olney
- UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center, Glen Burnie
- Western Maryland Regional Medical Center, Cumberland
C Grade
- Bon Secours Hospital, Baltimore
- Fort Washington Medical Center, Fort Washington
- MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore
- MedStar Harbor Hospital, Baltimore
- MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, Clinton
- MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore
- Meritus Medical Center, Hagerstown
- Northwest Hospital, Randallstown
- Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Baltimore
- Union Hospital, Elkton
- University of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital, Havre De Grace
- University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore
- University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus, Baltimore
- University of Maryland Medical Center Chesapeake Medical Center, Bel Air
D Grade
- Doctors Community Hospital, Lanham
- Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, Germantown
- Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring
- St. Agnes Hospital, Baltimore
- University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital Center, Cheverly
A lot of hospitals in Baltimore were included on the list. Specialty hospitals (children’s hospitals and surgical centers) and critical access hospitals are excluded from the review.
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Statistics on smaller centers, such as military or veteran’s hospitals, may also be lacking. These facilities currently lack the resources to provide the data required for a thorough review, and Leapfrog experts are working on ways to better evaluate these hospitals in the future.
Needs in Baltimore Hospitals
When it came to hospitals in Baltimore, these facilities performed admirably. Baltimore is home to four of the state’s ten A-rated hospitals, as well as one B-rated facility.
Baltimore hospitals that did not receive high marks (seven C-rated and two D-rated facilities) are struggling to provide high-quality care across multiple safety measures.
When it comes to the two hospitals that received a D-rating, they performed below average in areas such as:
- Reducing MRSA infection spread;
- Slowing C.diff infection;
- Leaving dangerous objects in patients’ bodies;
- Surgical wound splits
- Death caused by treatable complications;
- Patients who develop serious breathing problems;
- Patients who develop dangerous blood clots;
- Hand washing;
- medication communication;
- discharge communication; staff collaboration to prevent errors;
- tracking and reducing patient risks
- Effective leadership to prevent errors;
- an adequate number of qualified nurses;
- communication with doctors and nurses;
- and hospital staff responsiveness
These errors are seldom deliberate. Most hospitals have protocols in place to address these neglected or ineffective safety measures. In other cases, hospitals may have been unaware that they required specific safety protocols and have been attempting to reduce the risks of medical errors in these areas through other failed interventions.
Concerning the Grade
The Leapfrog Group has been committed to saving lives by reducing the number of hospital errors through education and transparency since 2000.
By holding hospitals accountable for their actions, this non-profit has significantly improved hospital performance and guided facilities toward better patient safety solutions.
The hospital grades are determined by examining 28 hospital safety measures that protect patients from avoidable harm. The measures are divided into five categories so that patients can easily compare them, including:
- Infections;
- Issues with Surgery;
- Error-Prevention Techniques;
- Problems with safety; and
- Doctors, nurses, and hospital personnel
Each measure is scored and assigned a rating of below average, average, or above average so that patients can easily compare hospitals in their area.
Best hospitals in Baltimore
Here are some of the best hospitals in Baltimore:
- MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
Address: 9000 Franklin Square Dr, Baltimore, MD 21237, United States
Phone: +1 443-777-7000
Number of beds: 348
Founded: 1898
Website: Click here
This Magnet hospital is one of the largest employers in Baltimore County. It is rated high performing by U.S. News & World Report in several procedures or conditions such as lung cancer surgery, heart failure, and diabetes.
The Joint Commission awarded the facility The Gold Seal of Approval for its healthcare quality. It was the first hospital in the Baltimore area to be recognized by the Cribs for Kids National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program for educating parents on safe sleep practices for infants, and it also received a “B” grade for hospital safety from The Leapfrog Group. It received a two-star rating from the federal government. High-rated specialties here include diabetes treatment and endocrinology. This general hospital is a go-to for many locals.
- Mercy Medical Center
Address: 345 St Paul Pl, Baltimore, MD 21202, United States
Phone: +1 410-332-9000
Number of beds: 178
Revenue: 413.9 million USD (2011)
Founded: 11 November 1874
Website: Click here
U.S. News & World Report ranks Mercy Medical Center, or The Bunting Center, high in colon cancer surgery, back surgery, hip replacement, and knee replacement.
The facility, which serves as the main hospital for Mercy’s Downtown Baltimore campus, was named one of America’s Best Midsize Employers by Forbes in 2022 and received the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence in 2021.
Also, the Leapfrog Group rated its hospital safety as “A,” and the federal government gave it a five-star rating.
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Address: 1800 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States
Phone: +1 410-955-5000
Subsidiaries: Howard County General Hospital, MORE
Number of beds: 1,091
Founder: Howard Atwood Kelly
Founded: 1889
Website: Click here
U.S. News & World Report ranks the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine teaching hospital first in Maryland and fourth on the Best Hospitals Honor Roll.
The Magnet hospital was also ranked No. 6 among the World’s Best Hospitals by Newsweek in 2022 and received an “A” grade for hospital safety from The Leapfrog Group in 2021.
Also, the Joint Commission has accredited Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of Maryland’s largest private employers.
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) has designated the institution as a Level 9 for its frequent use of technologies in innovative ways, which encourages adoption throughout the organization. It received a four-star rating from the federal government.
- University of Maryland Medical Center
Located in: University of Maryland, Baltimore
Address: 22 S Greene St, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
Phone: +1 410-328-8667
Number of beds: 767
President: Mohan Suntha
Founded: 2012
Website: Click here
U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Maryland Medical Center second in Maryland and high in cancer performance.
The teaching hospital, which is considered the highest-volume trauma center in the country, received the Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award and the American Heart Association’s Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Center. The Leapfrog Group rated it “B” for hospital safety, and the federal government rated it two stars.
- Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Baltimore
Address: 2401 W Belvedere Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215, United States
Website: Click here
Phone: +1 410-601-9000
Sinai of Baltimore, which is affiliated with Mercy Medical Center, is ranked nationally in neurology and neurosurgery. The skilled neurosurgeons here are unrivaled.
- MedStar Harbor Hospital, Baltimore
Address: 3001 S Hanover St, Baltimore, MD 21225, United States
Phone: +1 410-350-3200
Website: Click here
Number of beds: 139
Founded: 1903
MedStar Harbor Hospital is a community staple after more than a century of healing, serving patients from Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Howard counties at our convenient waterside location, with the services of a large, regional medical center in a smaller, more personal environment.
Also, the Women and Infants’ Center, provide exceptional obstetric care. The hospital has everything from refurbished birthing rooms to give mothers the comfort of home, certified breastfeeding counselors, a Level II Neonatal Care Unit with 24-hour pediatrician coverage, fetal assessment and monitoring programs, genetic testing and counseling, and DNA sampling.
The cutting-edge inpatient Behavioral Health unit and Emergency Department provide community-based, high-quality behavioral health services, crisis intervention for patients in crisis, and comprehensive psychiatric care for adults.
- MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore
Address: 5601 Loch Raven Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21239, United States
Phone: +1 443-444-8000
Website: Click here
For more than 50 years, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital has provided high-quality care to its community.
The hospital and its staff are guided by Catholic tradition and are trusted to provide ideal healthcare experiences by providing the highest quality of care and establishing long-term relationships with the patients we serve.
MedStar Good Samaritan is known as a community-focused hospital. We provide cutting-edge treatments for inpatient rehabilitation in collaboration with the MedStar National Rehabilitation Network, geriatrics in collaboration with the Center for Successful Aging, wound care, hyperbaric medicine, and limb saving in collaboration with the MedStar Health Wound Healing Institute, and cancer care in collaboration with the MedStar Franklin Square Medicine Center and the MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute.
- Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), Baltimore
Address: 6701 N Charles St, Towson, MD 21204, United States
Phone: +1 443-849-2000
Number of beds: 231
Founded: 1965
The 257 licensed bed facility (acute and sub-acute care) is located on a beautiful suburban campus and serves over 23,000 admissions and 52,000 emergency room visits per year. Since its inception in 1965, GBMC HealthCare’s achievements have validated the founders’ vision of combining the best of community and university-level medicine.
Its main campus of GBMC also houses three medical office buildings: the Physicians Pavilion East, the Physicians Pavilion West, and the William E. Kahlert Physicians Pavilion North.
GBMC Health Partners’ primary care practices can be found throughout the community with extended and weekend hours in convenient locations such as Hunt Manor, Hunt Valley, Owings Mills, Texas Station, Perry Hall, Joppa Road, and Jarrettsville, in addition to its main campus in Towson.
Gilchrist offers medical care, counseling, and support to patients and their families at all stages of serious illness, even before hospice care is required.
Every year, Gilchrist serves over 7,600 patients in homes, nursing homes, and other medical settings, as well as at our three inpatient hospice centers in Towson, Howard County, and Baltimore. Gilchrist also offers grief counseling and other bereavement services to 6,500 families in central Maryland.
- Union Memorial Hospital
Located in: MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
Address: 3333 N Calvert St, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States
Phone: +1 410-554-2000
Website: Click here
For more than 160 years, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital has provided its community with safe, high-quality, compassionate care. MedStar Union Memorial is a regional specialty and teaching hospital located in northeast Baltimore City.
It is well-known for the Curtis National Hand Center, the MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute, the MedStar Orthopaedic Institute, and the establishment of the country’s first hospital-based sports medicine program.
Primary care, diabetes and endocrinology, outpatient behavioral health, general medical and surgical services, and palliative care are among the other specialties. It is also known around the world for providing safe, high-quality, and advanced care in these specialties, as well as teaching, clinical trials, and research.
MedStar Union Memorial has hip and knee, spine, foot and ankle, and sports medicine specialty centers. It also has advanced Palliative Care certification and is a Primary Stroke Center.
The Maryland Institute of Emergency Medical Systems has designated the Curtis National Hand Center as the state’s Hand and Upper Extremity Trauma Center.
- Kaiser Permanente Baltimore Harbor Medical Center
Address: 815 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202, United States
Phone: +1 410-637-5700
Website: Click here
Kaiser Permanente, with 12.6 million members, is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health plans.
Physicians are in charge of medical decisions at Kaiser Permanente. Permanente Medical Groups, which provide care to Kaiser Permanente members, are constantly developing and refining medical practices to help ensure that care is delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible.
FAQs about the best hospitals in Baltimore
- What is the name of Baltimore’s well-known hospital?
The Johns Hopkins Hospital serves the greater Baltimore community and is a world-renowned leader in patient care.
- What are Maryland’s top-rated hospitals?
- Berlin’s Atlantic General Hospital.
- Prince Frederick’s CalvertHealth Medical Center.
- Garrett County Memorial Hospital is located in Oakland.
- Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Baltimore’s MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.
- Salisbury’s Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
- Bethesda Suburban Hospital
- What is the name of Baltimore’s largest hospital?
Johns Hopkins Medical Center
- What is the most well-known feature of Johns Hopkins Hospital?
The Johns Hopkins Hospital was ranked fourth overall and first in all 15 specialty areas, including psychiatry.
Conclusion on the best hospitals in Baltimore
Choosing the best hospital necessitates a thorough examination of the costs and efficiency of care, both of which are critical to patients.
This article discussed some of the best hospitals in Baltimore, ranked based on their performance, which is weighted far more heavily than the other factors. We hope this helps you.
Editors’ picks
Chibueze Uchegbu is a certified medical physiologist with a great passion for healthy living.