Patient safety is the core foundation of all healthcare facilities and organizations. By showcasing that a hospital can provide their patients with an outstanding quality of care, their loved ones can feel reassured that they have chosen the right facility for their sick or injured family members.
What are hospital grades?
One of the easiest ways to assess a hospital’s performance is through its official “hospital safety grades.” By checking this rating system, individuals can learn about a specific hospital’s patient safety ranking and make informed decisions about where they would like to receive medical care.
To illustrate, an “A-grade” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade represents a hospital’s highest level of patient safety standards, whereas a “D-grade” points to a patient safety rating that is less than average in preventing medical errors, injuries and infections.
Were you or a loved one injured by medical negligence in Southeastern Pennsylvania? Put Bellwoar Kelly, LLP on your side. With decades of experience and courtroom wins in complex matters, our lawyers have recovered millions of dollars for our clients. Call 610-314-7066 anytime, day or night, for a free consultation. Se habla español.
How do Chester County’s hospitals rank on safety grade?
Leapfrog’s grading system focuses exclusively on how safe the hospitals are for patients. As of Fall 2025, here are three of Chester County’s hospital safety rankings:
- Paoli hospital (main line health): B-grade
- Phoenixville hospital (tower health): C-grade
- Chester County hospital: No assigned grade (Fall 2025); A-grade (Spring 2024)
By learning about these details in advance, patients and their loved ones can do research and make calls or email inquiries before deciding on which hospital they want to stay at and receive care from.
This cautionary step can not only help them prepare for their medical procedures better but also lessen the emotional stress that’s stemming from their medical malpractice concerns.
Why safety grades matter, and what they do not tell you
Hospital safety grades are a useful starting point, but they do not answer the key legal questions in a medical malpractice claim. A malpractice case turns on whether a provider failed to meet the accepted standard of care and whether that failure caused harm. Patients can experience negligent care at highly rated facilities, and good outcomes can occur at lower rated facilities. If you suspect malpractice, your next step is to have an experienced Pennsylvania lawyer review the facts and the medical records.
Common medical errors we investigate in Chester County and Southeastern Pennsylvania
- Failure to diagnose, delayed diagnosis, and misdiagnosis
- Surgical errors and wrong-site or retained-object events
- Anesthesia errors and airway complications
- Emergency room delays and improper triage
- Medication errors, dosing mistakes, and dangerous drug interactions
- Birth injuries, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and shoulder dystocia injuries
- Sepsis, pressure injuries, and falls in the hospital
- Radiology errors and missed findings We focus on cases involving serious or permanent injury, loss of function, brain injury, birth injury, or wrongful death.
What to do if you suspect malpractice
- Write down a timeline of what happened and who was involved
- Request your complete medical records, imaging, and test results
- Save discharge instructions, prescriptions, and bills
- Photograph visible injuries and keep a symptom journal
- Do not sign releases or accept money from an insurer before you get legal advice
- Speak with a medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible so deadlines are protected
Deadlines in Pennsylvania
Most Pennsylvania medical malpractice claims must be filed within two years, and the discovery rule can extend the filing period if the injury was not reasonably known right away. Claims for minors are generally tolled until age 18, with two years to file after that. There are exceptions and special rules, so do not wait to get specific guidance on your timeline.
How our team builds strong cases
Pennsylvania law requires a certificate of merit that is supported by a qualified medical expert. Our firm retains independent specialists to review the records, hospital policies, and staffing data. We analyze EHR audit trails, medication administration logs, and imaging to establish what happened and why. With decades of trial experience and the resources to take on hospitals and their insurers, we are ready to pursue full and fair compensation for you.
Why choose Bellwoar Kelly, LLP
We are trial-tested Pennsylvania attorneys with decades of experience who have recovered millions of dollars for injured clients. We offer free consultations and contingency fee representation in personal injury and medical malpractice, which means you pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. We serve patients and families across Chester County, Montgomery County, Delaware County, and throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. Se habla español.