Hospitals throughout the U.S. have their performance judged annually by the federal government. One of the key metrics for judging performance is hospital readmission.

When hospitals show a history of significant hospital readmission—which means that patients may not get the care and directions they need to recover or avoid complications after discharge—hospitals may get lower payments from the federal government for Medicare patients. These penalties were instituted as part of the Affordable Care Act to track and improve patient care and safety.

Which Hospitals Aren’t Up to Par?

According to Kaiser Health News (KHN), the most recent penalties were calculated by observing hospital case history between July 2016 and June 2019, so COVID-19-related readmissions aren’t included in this metric. Medicare penalized 66 hospitals in Indiana for readmissions in 2020. All hospitals both in Indiana and nationwide that have received the Medicare penalties can be viewed in the table on this KHN page.

In addition, 24 more hospitals were penalized for having too many patients affected by hospital-acquired conditions. These hospitals include:

  • Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus
  • Community Hospital East in Indianapolis
  • Community Hospital North in Indianapolis
  • Community Hospital of Anderson and Madison County in Anderson
  • Community Hospital South, Inc., in Indianapolis
  • Dearborn County Hospital in Lawrenceburg
  • Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis
  • Fayette Regional Health System in Connersville
  • Franciscan Health Indianapolis in Indianapolis
  • Franciscan Health Lafayette in Lafayette
  • Franciscan Health Munster in Munster
  • Franciscan St. Margaret Health Hammond in Hammond
  • Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes
  • Goshen Hospital in Goshen
  • Hancock Regional Hospital in Greenfield
  • Indiana University Health Starke Hospital in Knox
  • La Porte Hospital in La Porte
  • Marion General Hospital in Marion
  • Memorial Hospital in Logansport
  • Monroe Hospital in Bloomington
  • Parkview Huntington Hospital in Huntington
  • Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne
  • Pinnacle Hospital in Crown Point
  • Riverview Health in Noblesville

For information on the penalty amounts, or the worst-ranked hospitals in other states, you can read more about this topic from the Indiana Business Journal.

How Can You Determine Which Hospital Is Right for You?

Being able to choose which hospital you go to, whether it’s for a surgery, a specialist visit, or an emergency, isn’t always an option. For example, you may be transported to the nearest hospital by emergency responders, or your insurance may only be valid or considered “in-network” in certain facilities.

But if you have a choice, it’s important to research facilities carefully. In addition, don’t base your decision solely on location. It can be worthwhile to drive several hours for top-notch care, rather than getting treated at a lower-ranked hospital that’s just down the street from your home.

This ranking by U.S. News and World Report is a good starting point to identify which hospitals excel in Indiana, but you should also check each hospital individually if you’re able to do so. For example, some hospitals may excel overall, but be lacking in certain specialties. Finding a hospital that’s highly rated for your health problem can improve your prognosis and quality of life.

What Should You Do if You’re Harmed by a Negligent Hospital?

No one wants to imagine that they’ll end up feeling worse than ever after being admitted to or released from the hospital. But that’s a reality for countless Americans every year, especially when they are victims of medical malpractice. Hospitals are supposed to pull out all the stops for ensuring their patients receive adequate care, but that doesn’t always happen, whether it’s due to budget issues, a focus on profit, or sheer negligence.

If you believe that you or someone you love was a victim of medical malpractice at an Indiana hospital, the legal team at Wagner Reese wants to help. We’ve investigated many medical malpractice claims in the Hoosier State, and we know what it takes to help injured victims like you get compensation.

To learn how our medical malpractice and drug injury attorneys can assist you with a hospital-acquired injury or infection that you have suffered, contact us today for a free consultation. There’s no upfront cost, and you don’t owe us a penny unless we win your claim.