Loretto Hospital Violations and Ratings

The Importance of Hospital Ratings in Chicago, IL

There are many different ways to judge the quality of a hospital and patient care. One important factor is how often the hospital follows basic health and safety procedures and avoids errors, infections, and accidents. Serious errors or violations can put patients in danger and lead to life-threatening injuries or even death. That’s why it’s important for patients and their families to know about any past problems experienced by other patients at a hospital in Chicago, IL before making the decision to receive care there.

Hospital ratings can help patients and families make informed decisions about where to seek medical care. However, it’s important to note that no hospital is perfect and even the best hospitals in Chicago, IL can have occasional problems. The key is to look for patterns of problems over time. If a hospital has consistently poor ratings, that is a red flag that it may not be providing safe, high-quality care or medical services compared to the national average or Illinois average.

We’ve compiled ranking information on Chicago, IL hospitals from the state of Illinois and U.S. News and World Report. With this information, you can compare how your hospital compares to the national average, Illinois average, and also compare it to other Chicago, IL and Cook County hospitals. In this blog, we’re covering Loretto Hospital.

Loretto Hospital Overview

Loretto Hospital is a 177-bed acute care community hospital located in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Loretto Hospital was founded in 1923 as Austin Hospital. It renamed itself Loretto in 1939, and in 2009, it opened its current current emergency department. Its contact information is:

645 S. Central Ave.
Chicago, IL 60644
773-626-4300
www.lorettohospital.org

U.S. News & World Report Ranks Loretto Hospital

Cancer, cardiology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, and other specialties are each evaluated by U.S. News & World Report in its annual ranking of hospitals. Hospitals included in the report fulfill certain criteria such as size and number of operations carried out.

The rankings are based on information about nearly 5,000 hospitals. Hospitals that perform well for the sickest and most medically complex patients receiving treatment in their areas are nationally ranked in a specialty.

Loretto Hospital is a general medical and surgical facility that is unranked for national specialties by U.S. News.

• National Ranking: Unranked
• Illinois Ranking: Unranked
• Chicago Ranking: Unranked

Hospital Report Card from Illinois

Chicago hospitals are also grated by the Illinois Department of Public Health on the Illinois Hospital Report Card and Consumer Guide to Health Care site. This site allows Illinois consumers and patients to access to information about the quality of hospitals in the state. This information includes:

• the cost and types of services provided at hospitals,
• info about patient safety and health care services quality,
• info about the staffing of hospitals,
• consumer satisfaction ratings, and
• information about Illinois consumer protection laws.

Illinois Designations

The state has given Loretto Hospital the following designations.

• Perinatal 0

CDC Infection Data

Hospitals are required by Illinois law and the Hospital Report Card Act (Illinois Public Act 93-563) to report a variety of infections to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). These include:

• surgical site infections (SSIs)
• central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs)
• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections
• Clostridium difficile infections

Although hospital-acquired infections are common, they may frequently be avoided. If a sickness was caused by unclean hospital conditions or surgical techniques, the institution could be held liable for medical malpractice. Loretto Hospital reported the following infections:

• Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (2019): 0, although the sample size was low (297)
• Surgical Site Infections (2019): N/A
• Antibacterial-Resistant Bloodstream Infections (2019): 2

Illinois Department of Public Health Patient Safety Information

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health’s consumer assessment survey, 49% of patients would definitely recommend Loretto Hospital to friends and family, and 56% of patients always received help as soon as they wanted.

The mortality rate for pneumonia patients was 14.9%, and 16.7% of pneumonia patients were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Of all heart failure patients, 23.8% had to be readmitted within 30 days of discharge.

Medical Malpractice Recoveries Against Loretto Hospital

Loretto Hospital has compensated victims of medical malpractice.  Records show several notable settlements and verdicts.  Here are a few:

$12 million for the family of baby who died after she was given a fatal dose of theophylline medication. Exacerbating their error, Loretto’s treaters failed to take appropriate action to reverse the effects of the medication.

$2.5 million after a routine tracheostomy killed a patient due to delays in ventilation that caused patient’s brain oxygen levels to plummet.

$600,000 after an 85 year old patient developed pressure ulcers because staff failed to turn her to alleviate the pressure.

These are examples of recoveries from medical negligence lawsuits against Loretto Hospital. If you or a loved one has been the victim of something similar, you should seek legal counsel immediately. Other forms of medical malpractice can include:

• Failure to diagnose
• Birth injuries
• Medication mistakes
• Surgical errors
• Misdiagnosis and patient neglect
• Failure to monitor
• Bedsores or pressure sores

Medical malpractice claims are generally complex medical circumstances that necessitate a thorough investigation. If you have concerns about medical negligence, contact our firm immediately.

How to Find Out if Your Loretto Hospital Doctor Has Been Disciplined

If you want to find out if your Loretto Hospital doctor has been disciplined, you can perform an online license search for these medical records on the The Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) website. The IDFPR investigates and keeps track of actions taken against licensed medical practitioners in the state of Illinois. To start your search for information:

1. Go to the IDFPR license search
2. Select “Medical Board” under the License Type dropdown menu
3. Enter your doctor’s first and last name
4. Press “Detail” button next to your doctor’s name to see details

If your medical practitioner has been disciplined by the IDFPR, it will appear under the Disciplinary Actions section. There are many types of disciplinary action that may appear including: a reprimand; probation; suspension; summary or temporary suspension; revocation; refuse to renew; relinquished, surrendered, or permanent inactive; or fines.

Visit the American Board of Medical Specialties site to verify the certification of your doctor as another way to research them.

What to Do If Your Doctor Has Been Disciplined or You Suspect Medical Negligence

If your doctor has been disciplined or if you suspect that you or a loved one has been the victim of medical negligence in Chicago, it is important to seek legal help as soon as possible. The attorneys at The Kryder Law Group, LLC, can investigate your claim and help you get the compensation that you deserve. Contact our office today to schedule a free consultation.

How do I know if I have a case?

If you or a loved one has been injured due to medical negligence in Chicago, you may be wondering if you have a case. The first step is to contact an experienced attorney who can review your case and determine if you have a claim.

To prove medical negligence, a patient must be able to show that the doctors or health care providers breached the standard of care owed to you and that this breach caused you harm. The “standard of care” is defined as the level of care that a reasonably competent health care provider would have provided under the same or similar circumstances.

If you believe that your doctor or another healthcare provider failed to meet the standard of care and this failure led to your injury, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible.

At The Kryder Law Group, LLC, we offer free consultations so that you can learn more about your legal options without any obligation. To schedule a consultation, contact our office today.

Medical Malpractice Damages Examples

When you are the victim of medical malpractice, you may be entitled to compensatory damages. These damages are meant to compensate you for your losses and include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Wrongful death damages (if a loved one died due to medical negligence)
• Punitive damages (in some cases)

If you have been injured due to medical negligence, contact The Kryder Law Group, LLC today to discuss your legal options. We offer free consultations and do not charge any fees unless we recover compensation for you.

What Happens If My Loretto Hospital Malpractice Claim Goes to Trial?

Although most medical malpractice cases are resolved through a settlement, some do go to trial. If your case does go to trial, our team will be there to guide you step by step through the process and fight for the compensation you deserve.

If you have been injured due to medical negligence, it is important to contact an experienced attorney as soon as possible. At The Kryder Law Group, LLC, we offer free consultations and do not charge any fees unless we recover compensation for you. To schedule a consultation, contact our office today.