Why Smart Consumers Use Hospital Ratings to Guide Their Healthcare Choices
When it comes to choosing a hospital, patients have more options than ever before. With the advent of the internet, patients can easily research hospitals and make informed decisions about their healthcare and where they would like to complete their hospital stay. However, with so many options available, it can be difficult to know where to start. That’s where hospital ratings come in.
Hospital ratings provide an overview of a hospital’s quality of care, safety record, and patient satisfaction levels compared to the national average. They can be a valuable tool for patients looking to make informed healthcare choices.
In our series on Chicago hospitals ratings and violations, we’ve compiled data from the U.S. News and World Report as well as from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to help you make an informed decision about your healthcare.
In this article, we’ll take a look at Rush Copley Medical Center, located in Aurora, Illinois. We’ll examine the hospital’s ratings, violations, and patient satisfaction levels to help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.
Rush Copley Medical Center Info
Rush Copley Medical Center is a 210-bed acute care hospital in Aurora, IL that offers primary and specialty health services. Founded in 1888, it is currently part of the Rush University health system. Its contact information is:
U.S. News & World Report Ranking for Rush Copley Medical Center
U.S. News & World Report ranks hospitals by assessing their performance based on data from nearly 5,000 medical centers across the country. When a hospital is nationally ranked as high performing in a specialty, it means that they excel at taking care of the most medically complex patients with that condition.
Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, IL is a general medical and surgical facility and is rated high performing in 6 adult procedures and conditions.
National Ranking: unranked
Illinois Ranking: unranked
High Performing: in 6 Adult Procedures or Conditions
Hospital Report Card from IDPH
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) rates hospitals and medical centers on the Illinois Hospital Report Card and Consumer Guide to Health Care site. The aim of this information is to provide patients and families with information regarding the quality of health care delivered in Illinois. It includes the following information about Illinois hospitals:
the number and cost of services in hospitals and medical centers,
information about the quality of health care and patient safety,
staffing data,
patient satisfaction ratings, and
information about Illinois consumer protection laws.
Illinois Designations
The IDPH has given Rush Copley Medical Center the following designations:
The Hospital Report Card Act (Illinois Public Act 93-563) requires Illinois hospitals to report a variety of infection types to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) system.
Infections are a common yet frequently avoidable problem in hospitals. The hospital might be held liable for medical malpractice if an infection was caused by unclean hospital conditions or surgical treatments. The following infections were reported for Rush Copley Medical Center:
One patient was diagnosed with a central line associated blood stream infection in the adult medical/surgical ICU in 2018.
Another patient was diagnosed with a central line associated infection in the neonatal ICU.
Four patients were diagnosed with surgical site infections in 2018, including three that were associated with coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
Twenty-three patients were diagnosed with antibacterial-resistant clostridium difficile infections, and one patient was diagnosed with a methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus blood stream infection.
IDPH Patient Safety Info
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, Rush Copley Medical Center patients were found to have a statistically significantly worse than state average risk of unexpected deaths and of postoperative hemorrhages or hematomas.
The 30-day mortality rate for heart attack patients was 14.8%, while 15.1% of discharged heart attack patients were readmitted for further treatment within 30 days.
Medical Malpractice Recoveries from Rush Copley Medical Center
Another consideration when assessing the quality of care a patient will receive at a hospital is to look at the recoveries made in medical malpractice claims. Rush Copley Medical Center has compensated victims of medical malpractice. Records show several notable settlements and verdicts. Here are some examples:
$8 million for a newborn girl severely injured during operating room flash fire. As the result of the fire, she suffered burn injuries as well as brain damage when her breathing tube failed.
$500,000 for the wrongful death of a 61 year old patient whose doctors failed to take action to save her life when a CT scan showed a neck hematoma. As result of their neglect, the patient went into cardiac arrest and died.
How to Find Out if Your Rush Copley Medical Center Doctor Has Been Disciplined
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) keeps an online database of all licensed Illinois physicians and tracks the status of their medical license.
It includes information on medical licensees status, the license expiration date, and any disciplinary actions taken against the medical practitioner.
Step by Step IDFPR License Search Instructions
You can search for your Rush Copley Medical Center doctor by name or license number to see if they have been disciplined in Illinois in the past. To see if your physician has been disciplined by the state:
Under the License Type dropdown menu, select “Medical Board”
Enter your doctor’s name
Press “Detail” button next to your doctor’s name
If your physician has been subject to a disciplinary action, it will be listed under the Disciplinary Actions section. These actions could include: a reprimand; probation; suspension; summary or temporary suspension; revocation; refuse to renew; relinquished, surrendered, or permanent inactive; or fines.
You can also check your doctor’s credentials on the American Board of Medical Specialties website and verify their certification.
What to Do if You Suspect Medical Malpractice at Rush Copley Medical Center
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of medical negligence from health care providers at Rush Copley Medical Center, you may be entitled to compensation.
An experienced Illinois medical malpractice attorney at The Kryder Law Group, LLC, can help you investigate your claim and determine if you have a case against the hospital or any of its employees.
Steps You Can Take to Help Maximize Your Case
If you believe that you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, there are some steps you can take to help preserve your legal rights and maximize your chances of success in a potential lawsuit.
Request copies of your medical records from Rush Copley Medical Center as soon as possible. These records will be crucial evidence in a potential medical malpractice case.
Do not sign any releases or authorizations permitting Rush Copley to release your medical records to anyone else without your prior approval.
Do not discuss your case with anyone from Rush Copley Medical Center or any other healthcare provider involved in your care. Anything you say could be used against you in a potential lawsuit.
Immediately contact an experienced Illinois medical malpractice attorney to discuss your case and learn more about your legal rights and options.
We Work on a Contingency-Fee Basis
Contact us today for a free consultation. We do not charge any attorneys’ fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Common Types of Medical Malpractice in Illinois
There are many different types of medical malpractice, but some of the most common include:
Birth injuries
Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis
Surgical errors
Anesthesia errors
Medication errors
Emergency room errors
If you believe that you or a loved one has been a victim of medical negligence, contact an experienced Aurora medical malpractice attorney at The Kryder Law Group, LLC today for a free consultation. We do not charge any attorneys’ fees unless we recover compensation for you.
What Is Not Considered Medical Malpractice in Aurora, Illinois?
It is important to understand that not every instance of substandard medical care will rise to the level of medical malpractice. In order for a healthcare provider to be held liable for medical malpractice in Illinois, they must have breached the applicable standard of care and this breach must have caused you or your loved one harm.
Some examples of situations that would not be considered medical malpractice include:
A misdiagnosis that did not cause you any harm
A delay in diagnosis that did not cause you any harm
A surgical error that did not cause you any harm
An anesthesia error that did not cause you any harm
A medication error that did not cause you any harm
An emergency room error that did not cause you any harm
Free Consultation
If you are unsure whether your situation rises to the level of medical malpractice, the best way to find out is to contact an experienced Illinois medical malpractice attorney. At The Kryder Law Group, LLC, we offer free consultations so that you can have your case evaluated by an experienced attorney.
What Is the Standard of Care in Illinois?
The standard of care is the level of care that a reasonably prudent healthcare provider would have provided under the same or similar circumstances. In order to prove that a healthcare provider breached the applicable standard of care, your attorney will need to retain expert witnesses who can testify as to what the standard of care was in your particular case and how the healthcare provider breached that standard.
Common Causes of Medical Malpractice
There are many different factors that can contribute to a medical malpractice case in a hospital, but some of the most common include:
Poor communication between healthcare providers
Lack of coordination between healthcare providers
inadequate staffing levels
Poorly trained or inexperienced staff
Failure to follow established protocols and procedures
Failure to properly monitor patients
If you believe that you or a loved one has been the victim of medical negligence, contact an experienced Illinois medical malpractice attorney at The Kryder Law Group, LLC today for a free consultation. Our law firm does not charge any attorneys’ fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Proving a Medical Malpractice Claim in Illinois
Medical malpractice cases are complex and require the experience of a skilled attorney. In order to prove that medical negligence occurred, you will need to show that the hospital, medical cetner, or doctor:
owed you a duty of care
breached that duty of care
caused an injury
caused damages as a result of that injury
Experienced medical malpractice attorneys will know how to gather the necessary evidence to prove your claim and help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Damages in an Illinois Medical Malpractice Case
If you are successful in proving your medical malpractice claim, you may be entitled to recover damages for:
Past and future medical expenses
Lost wages
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Loss of enjoyment of life
Loss of consortium
Contact an Experienced Aurora, IL Medical Malpractice Attorney Today
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of medical negligence, contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney at The Kryder Law Group, LLC today for a free consultation. We do not charge any attorneys’ fees unless we recover compensation for you.
We have recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients and we are ready to put our experience and resources to work for you.
We represent clients throughout Illinois, including in the Chicago metro area, Aurora, Elgin, Naperville, Joliet, and Schaumburg.
August 5th, 2022
(312) 223-1700 