"Hospitals should be places you go to get better, but too often the opposite happens" New hospital safety ratings from Consumer Reports find that too many pose risks. 

Infections, surgical mistakes, and other medical harm contribute to 180,000 patient deaths a year according to federal statistics. Another 1.4 million people are seriously hurt by their hospital care. But consumers can’t get a full picture of most hospitals in the U.S. because there has been little public reporting.

The hospital safety rating report in the August issue of Consumer Reports helps to illustrate the importance of public reporting for patients. The magazine came up with an overall safety score based on six categories:

• Preventing Infections

• Preventing patients with a heart condition or pneumonia from needing to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days

• Clearly explaining new medications and discharge instructions to patients

• Avoiding duplicate CT scanning

• Avoiding preventable complications

• Preventing avoidable deaths

Combined overall safety results are given a score between 1 and 100.

The top hospital in the country in Billings, Montana, received a rating of 72. The lowest scoring hospital in the country received a 16 and is located in Chicago. That is quite a gap.

The safety ratings for central Illinois hospitals include scores ranging between 32 and 65. Overall, central Illinois hospitals are doing better than many. Decatur Memorial Hospital, Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru, and Pekin Hospital are among the top 10 in Illinois.

For more information about the Consumer Reports Hospital Safety Ratings Report, click HERE.