When you visit a hospital in Delaware County, you trust that the doctors and nurses know exactly what they are doing. If you have an emergency right now, you might be searching for a place to go immediately. Here are the hospitals that locals frequently visit when they need care.
A list of the 9 popular hospitals and their services
These are the hospitals in Delaware County that may be close to your residence:
- Riddle Hospital: Full-serve community hospital with maternity, heart, orthopedic, cancer and emergency departments
- Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital: A full-service community hospital with an emergency department and a broad set of inpatient and outpatient services
- Kindred Hospital Philadelphia: A long-term acute care hospital for patients with complex medical conditions
- The Keystone Center: A hospital that focuses on inpatient behavioral health and addiction treatment
- Penn Medicine Radnor: A large ambulatory center that has imaging, laboratory, rehabilitation and specialty practices
- Main Line Health Center: A medical facility that offers ambulatory care, imaging, laboratory, rehabilitation and specialty practices
- Crozer Health at Brinton Lake: An outpatient surgery center that also facilitates cancer and multi-specialty care
- Nemours Children’s Health: A medical center that focuses on pediatric specialty care but also offers therapy and imaging services
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Specialty Care and Surgery Center: A medical establishment that has pediatric subspecialty clinics, ambulatory surgery and urgent care
Among these hospitals, only two received a ranking from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. Riddle Hospital earned a Grade A, while Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital received a Grade D.
How hospital grades affect your choice
The Leapfrog Group created a ranking system to help individuals find a hospital that best suits their needs. A letter grade means how well the healthcare practitioners in a facility protect patients from accidents and infections.
While using this data can help you decide on which hospital to visit, remember that a high ranking is not a shield against accountability. Even if you went to a facility with a Grade A, a surgeon or nurse can fail their duty of care.
Meanwhile, do not let a lack of a public grade trick you into thinking you have no recourse. Medical negligence laws apply to every single medical professional in Pennsylvania. If you suffered harm at a long-term acute care hospital or a scaled-back outpatient surgery center, the law protects you the same.
You must act quickly in Pennsylvania
If you are a victim of a medical error, you are on a strict clock. Pennsylvania law gives you only two years to file a malpractice lawsuit. Under the state’s discovery rule, the two-year window only starts when you actually find out or reasonably should have found out about your injury and the mistake that caused it. Even with this rule, acting quickly is the best way to avoid missing your chance.
Filing a medical malpractice claim in Pennsylvania can be complex. Aside from the strict statute of limitations, you also have to secure a Certificate of Merit from a medical expert who testifies that your care fell below acceptable standards. Seeking legal counsel is wise for gaining the guidance you need.