These are the Kansas City area's most unsafe hospitals. See the ratings
When going to the hospital for a surgery or illness, you trust that the medical staff will treat your condition well. But if your nurses and doctors don't wash their hands or give you the wrong medicine, your health could get worse, not better.
But some Kansas City area hospitals are better at these patient safety steps than others.
Falls, infections after surgery, miscommunications with staff and other preventable safety issues kill up to 250,000 people each year, according to health care watchdog nonprofit The Leapfrog Group.
In 2022, Nurses at Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City care for a COVID-19 patient in ICU. A healthcare watchdog group gave Kansas City hospitals grades for patient safety.
The organization, which has given hospitals letter grades on patient safety for over 20 years, released its spring 2025 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades on May 1.
While grades range from A to F, the Kansas City area did not have any D or F facilities.
Twice a year, hospitals are evaluated in 32 areas grouped in five categories: infections; problems with surgery; safety problems; practices to prevent errors; and staffing levels and education.
For more information on your hospital's performance in other aspects, like patient satisfaction and treatment effectiveness, search the facility's name on the Medicare website's care to compare. In addition, U.S. News and World Report releases rankings based on hospitals' performance in a variety of medical specialties and common procedures.
Here are the Kansas City area hospitals with the best and worst patient safety ratings for spring 2025, according to Leapfrog Group.
Most unsafe hospitals in the Kansas City area (C grades)
University Health Truman Medical Center, Kansas City
University Health Truman Medical Center received below average grades in 10 of the 32 categories, including three safety problems. Since 2022, the Hospital Hill institution has scored a C in seven out of eight assessments.
Overland Park Regional Medical Center
Overland Park Regional Medical Center scored below average in nine sections, including the worst possible score in bedside care. The hospital received its first C grade in recent years in fall 2024 after four A's in 2023 and 2022.
The University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas
The University of Kansas Hospital received below average grades in nine of the 29 metrics. The hospital declined to give information on four measures to prevent errors. KU Med received C grades on the last three reports.
Liberty Hospital
Liberty Hospital received below average scores in seven areas, including three problems with surgery. The hospital dropped to a C after three consecutive B grades.
Lee's Summit Medical Center
Lee's Summit Medical Center had below average scores in five of the 32 metrics, including the worst possible score in bedside care and specially trained ICU doctors. The hospital received a C grade in fall 2024 after three A grades in a row.
Safest hospitals in the Kansas City area (A grades)
Providence Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
St. Joseph Medical Center, Kansas City
Menorah Medical Center, Overland Park
North Kansas City Hospital
Olathe Medical Center
Saint Luke's East Hospital, Lee's Summit
Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City
B grades
AdventHealth Shawnee Mission
Belton Regional Medical Center
Centerpoint Medical Center, Independence
Research Medical Center Main Campus, Kansas City
Saint Luke's North Hospital - Barry Road, Kansas City
Saint Luke's South Hospital, Overland Park
St. Mary's Medical Center, Blue Springs
University Health Lakewood Medical Center, Kansas City
Do you have more questions about health in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
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