Report: Mercy Hospital Springfield among safest in the U.S.

Consumer Reports magazine in its August issue has ranked Mercy Hospital Springfield as the sixth-safest hospital in the U.S.

Among the hospitals scored in the report, the highest score was 72 out of 100, and Mercy Hospital Springfield scored 70, according to a news release from the health system.

Mercy Hospital Springfield was the only Missouri hospital to make the Top 10 list, but another Missouri hospital – Lake Regional Health System in Osage Beach – was No. 3 on the Bottom 10 Hospitals list, with a score of 22, according to the full report.

The report was based on data from government and independent sources, as well as hospital investigations and inspections, the release said.

Jon Swope, president and CEO of Mercy Springfield Communities, said in the release that while the national ranking is good news for Mercy Hospital Springfield, there is still work to be done, and Dr. Alex Hover, Mercy's senior vice president of clinical excellence, agreed.

“We are continuously working to improve our processes, safety training, infection control, and service to our patients and their families," Hover said in the release. "This is a measure of our commitment, but we are humbled by the knowledge that we have a long way to go toward our commitment of zero harm.”