BAPTIST HOSPITAL OF MIAMI REVIEW
Updated April 2021
The Baptist Hospital of Miami is one of the most respected medical centers in South Florida. It is a 720-bed hospital located just 20 minutes from the Miami International Airport and has virtually all specialties – back/spine care, Cancer, Cardiology and Heart Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Obstetrics/Maternity, Neonatal Intensive Care, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Physical Rehabilitation and Urology, among others.
Baptist Hospital of Miami is part of the Baptist Health Foundation, a not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy. It is home to three centers of excellence on its campus – Miami Cancer Institute, Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute, and Neuroscience Institute. It has a Children Emergency Center too.
Baptist Hospital of Miami is the recipient of the People Magazine’s “Companies that Care” Award for 2020 and has been chosen as one of the world’s most ethical companies in a survey conducted by Ethisphere.com in 2020.
US NEWS
Overview of Baptist Hospital of Miami
US News has ranked Baptist Hospital of Miami #5 in Florida. It holds #1 ranking in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale areas.
Baptist Hospital of Miami is rated high-performing in 6 adult specialties and in 7 procedures/ conditions.
Rankings and Ratings of Baptist Hospital of Miami
- Cancer
Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Hospital of Miami- National rank: High performing
- Overall score: 45.8/100
- Conditions/procedures applicable to cancer
- Colon Cancer Surgery: 5/5 (High performing)
- Lung Cancer Surgery: 3/5 (Average score)
- Cardiology and Heart Surgery
Miami Cardiac and Vascular Institute at Baptist Hospital of Miami- National rank: Not ranked
- Overall score: 40.8/100
- Conditions/procedures applicable to cardiology and heart surgery:
- Heart failure: 5/5 (High performing)
- Abdominal, aortic, aneurysm repair: 5/5 (High performing)
- Heart bypass surgery: 5/5 (High performing)
- Aortic valve surgery: 3/5 (Average score)
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR): 3/5 (Average score)
- Orthopedics
Miami Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute at Baptist Hospital of Miami- National rank: Not ranked
- Overall score: 41/100
- Conditions/procedures applicable to orthopedics
- Hip replacement: 5/5 (High performing)
- Knee replacement: 5/5 (High performing)
- Pulmonology
- National rank: High performing
- Overall score: 62.3/100
- Conditions/procedures applicable to pulmonology
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 5/5 (High performing)
Patient Experience at Baptist Hospital of Miami
Scores are based on surveys taken from Baptist Hospital’s inpatients inquiring about the different aspects of their stay after they were discharged.
- Satisfaction with the Hospital overall: 4/5
- Willingness to recommend: 4/5
- Satisfaction with doctors’ communications: 4/5
- Satisfaction with nurses’ communications: 4/5
- Satisfaction with efforts to prevent medication harm: 3/5
- Satisfaction with quality of discharge information: 3/5
- Satisfaction with involvement in recovery: 4/5
- Satisfaction with staff responsiveness: 2/5
- Satisfaction with hospital room cleanliness: 3/5
- Satisfaction with noise volume: 3/5
The hospital fared average for inpatient surveys. It garnered a score of 3 out of 5 overall.
Leapfrog General Safety Rating
The latest Leapfrog Hospital Safety grade of Baptist Hospital of Miami is C for fall of 2020. There has been a steady decline in the Hospital’s ratings as it used to enjoy an A grade rating, and then a B grade rating not so long ago.
The Leapfrog group rates Baptist Hospital of Miami in the following categories:
Infections
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MRSA Infection
Staph bacteria are common in hospitals, but MRSA is a type of staph that cannot be killed by many antibiotics. It is found in bed linen or medical equipment and can be spread if healthcare providers do not properly wash hands between patients.
- Baptist Hospital of Miami score: 1.453
- Best hospital score: 0.000
- Average hospital score: 0.791
- Worst hospital score: 2.863
Baptist Hospital performed below average in this category.
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C. Diff Infection
C. Diff is a bacterium that causes diarrhea, loss of appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. C. Diff occurs in patients taking antibiotics or who have recently taken them. Like MRSA, C. Diff is spread through contaminated equipment or healthcare providers not washing hands properly between patients.
- Baptist Hospital of Miami score: 0.735
- Best hospital score: 0.000
- Average hospital score: 0.583
- Worst hospital score: 1.737
Baptist Hospital performed worse than average in this category.
Problems with Surgery
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Dangerous objects left in patients’ bodies
This problem does not occur often, but if it does, it can be extremely dangerous. Most of the times, the object left in patients’ body is a surgical sponge.
- Baptist Hospital of Miami score: 0.082
- Best hospital score: 0.000
- Average hospital score: 0.017
- Worst hospital score: 0.254
Baptist Hospital fared below average in this category.
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Surgical wounds split open
A surgical wound splitting open is very painful and places a patient at risk of infection.
- Baptist Hospital of Miami score: 0.95
- Best hospital score: 0.67
- Average hospital score: 0.91
- Worst hospital score: 1.20
Baptist Hospital performed worse than average.
Practices to Prevent Errors
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Doctors’ order medication through a computer
Hospitals use Computerized Physicians Order Entry (CPOE) systems to order medications for patients in the hospital instead of writing prescriptions by hand. CPOE systems help to reduce medication errors in hospitals.
- Baptist Hospital of Miami score: 100
- Best hospital score: 100
- Average hospital score: 83.56
- Worst hospital score: 5
Baptist Hospital performed best in the category with no errors reported.
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Safe medication administration
Using barcodes on medications, nurses scan the medications and then the patient’s wrist bracelet to make sure the patient is receiving the right medications. Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) reduce the risk of a nurse accidentally giving the wrong medication to a patient.
- Baptist Hospital of Miami score: 75
- Best hospital score: 100
- Average hospital score: 83.44
- Worst hospital score: 5
Baptist Hospital of Miami performed below average in this category.
Safety Problems
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Dangerous bedsores
Bedsores are wounds on the skin that form when a patient lays or sits in one position for too long without being moved. They can cause severe pain and serious infections.
- Baptist Hospital of Miami score: 1.22
- Best hospital score: 0.03
- Average hospital score: 0.58
- Worst hospital score: 2.78
Baptist Hospital performed below average in this category.
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Patient falls and injuries
Falls can occur when patients who really can’t walk, try getting out of bed. Falls can result in longer spells in the hospital and can also result in permanent disability.
- Baptist Hospital of Miami score: 0.577
- Best hospital score: 0.000
- Average hospital score: 0.432
- Worst hospital score: 1.716
Baptist Hospital performed below average in this category.
Doctors, Nurses, and Hospital Staff
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Effective leadership to prevent errors
Errors become much common if hospital leaders do not make patient safety a priority. Leaders must make sure money is properly allotted towards enhancing safety measures.
- Baptist Hospital of Miami score: 120
- Best hospital score: 120
- Average hospital score: 117.31
- Worst hospital score: 9.23
Baptist Hospital performed best in this category.
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Enough qualified nurses
Patients receive most of their care from nurses and not doctors. If there is a shortage of qualified nurses, patients might face more complications, and longer stays in the hospital.
- Baptist Hospital of Miami score: 100
- Best hospital score: 100
- Average hospital score: 98.37
- Worst hospital score: 17.65
Baptist hospital performed best in this category.
The Baptist Hospital of Miami has not fared well in Leapfrogs’ rankings. Although it has performed slightly below average in most safety rankings, for a hospital of the stature of Baptist Hospital, these ratings should be a cause of concern.
Healthgrades
The Baptist Hospital of Miami has not won any awards from Healthgrades in the past few years.
Safety Ratings
Six ratings were worse than expected:
- Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital
- Catheter-related bloodstream infections in the hospital
- Hip fracture following surgery
- Respiratory failure following surgery
- Deep blood clots in the lungs or legs following surgery
- Accidental cuts, punctures, perforations or hemorrhage during medical care
No cases relating to foreign objects left in the body during a surgery or procedure were reported at the hospital.
Patient Experience
- Patient Ratings
- 72% patients gave a rating of 9 or 10. (3% higher than national average)
- 76% said they would definitely recommend. (6% lower than the national average)
The Baptist Hospital of Miami used to be one of the most reputable and respected hospitals in Florida, but recently it has experienced a fall in its ratings. Despite the declining ratings, it remains one of the most prominent hospitals in South Florida.
If you believe that inadequate care or negligence on the part of the medical staff at Baptist Hospital of Miami has negatively affected you or your loved one, it is important to speak to an experienced medical malpractice attorney. For more information on your legal options, contact our office today.