The time many of us often feel most vulnerable is when we need treatment, surgery, or emergency attention in a hospital. It is fundamentally important for patients to be able to trust that the doctors and staff at the hospital are caring professionals who provide highly competent treatment and make all efforts to ensure the best possible outcome under the circumstances.
Unfortunately, statistics and other metrics show that not all hospitals provide the same level of care. Also, medical malpractice is more common than you may expect, and several South Florida hospitals in the Miami area have declined in quality of care and patient satisfaction in recent years. That’s why the stakes are high when choosing the right hospital for your care. Sometimes, that choice can be the difference between life and death.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a medical error at a Florida hospital, the medical malpractice lawyers at Freedland Harwin Valori Gander can evaluate your case and help you recover compensation for your injuries.
Criteria for Evaluation
Many factors come into play when ranking hospitals, especially patient safety and satisfaction. When analyzing South Florida hospitals, it’s crucial to consider professional reviews, inspection reports, staffing levels, safety violation reports, health outcomes, and the number of medical malpractice and wrongful death claims filed against each hospital below.
What Factors Are Most Important?
As a patient, your top priorities when choosing a hospital for a procedure should be its patient satisfaction and safety ratings. Hospitals with poor ratings in these areas tend to have higher risks for complications, poor recovery rates, and high readmission rates. Additionally, frequent safety violations and poor health outcomes impact patients’ trust in these facilities, lowering their ranks.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade rates hospitals on the basics of medical care, like handwashing, infection rates, patient falls, and the availability of highly trained nurses. Choosing a hospital for a birth, surgery, chronic illness, or any other reason is a matter of personal preference, but hospitals with higher grades on the Leapfrog scale are generally believed to do a better job of preventing errors. Each hospital below received a “D” rating on the scale.
The 5 Worst Hospitals in South Florida
Though each of the five worst hospitals in South Florida received a “D” rating on the Leapfrog scale in 2024, every one of the hospitals’ ratings has decreased since 2021—some had as high as a “B” rating that year. Depending on the hospital, some facilities have experienced surgical site infections, sepsis, MRSA infections, blood infections, and UTIs. The five worst hospitals in the South Florida area are listed below based on these ratings and multiple other factors that go into the rating scale.
Delray Medical Center
Delray Medical Center is a 536-bed acute care hospital with 1,700 employees and 800 physicians. It is part of the Palm Beach Health Network and has served southern Palm Beach County for over 40 years. Delray Medical Center is a state-designated Level I trauma center and offers specialized services like cardiac and vascular facilities, orthopedics, neurosciences, emergency care, weight loss surgery, and a brain and spinal cord injury rehabilitation program.
Between 2021 and 2023, Delray Medical Center consistently received a “C” rating from Leapfrog. However, that rating decreased in early 2024. Leapfrog reports that the hospital performs worse than average in surgical site infections and sepsis infections after surgery.
According to U.S. News and World Report, Delray Medical Center ranks below average for several cancer surgeries, back surgery, and hip replacements. Patients rated the hospital one out of five stars in every category, including satisfaction with noise, cleanliness, staff responsiveness, and communication.
On Healthgrades, patients gave the hospital a 42 percent rating—22 percent lower than the national average. Patients cited foreign objects left in their bodies after surgery, bed sores, blood clots, and bloodstream infections. Other patients reported a lack of basic care such as food, water, and hygiene, as well as serious misdiagnoses and patient falls.
Data from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation shows that 180 medical malpractice claims have been filed against Delray Medical Center since 2000, 63 of which involved a patient death. The data shows that 157 of the claims resulted in a payment to the claimant, with 12 resulting in payments over $1 million. The highest reported payment was $12 million for a grave permanent injury.
Florida Medical Center
Florida Medical Center, a 459-bed acute care hospital owned by Steward Health Care, has operated in Fort Lauderdale for over 40 years. On Leapfrog, the hospital was rated a “B” in 2021 but fell to a “C” in 2022 and a “D” in 2023 and 2024, performing worse than average for MRSA infections.
In reviews, patients rated Florida Medical Center just over two out of five stars, reporting incidents of patient deaths, canceled surgeries, a lack of basic care, and a lack of physician follow-ups. According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, patients have filed 133 medical malpractice claims against Florida Medical Center since 1994. Of those claims, 42 involved patient deaths, and 117 resulted in a payment to the claimant, with three claims resulting in payments exceeding $1 million.
Mount Sinai Medical Center
Founded in 1949, Mount Sinai Medical Center is Florida’s largest private and independent teaching hospital, with 4,000 employees, 672 beds, 26 operating suites, and 650 physicians. The hospital’s Leapfrog rating has steadily decreased in recent years, going from a “B” in 2021 to a “C” in 2022 and 2023 and a “D” in 2024. It performs worse than average for blood infections and surgical site infections.
Since 1994, 424 claims of medical malpractice have been filed against Mount Sinai Medical Center—a quarter of which involved the death of a patient.
FHVG recently represented the family of a 41-year-old husband, father, and military veteran who arrived at Mount Sinai Medical Center to correct an issue with his heart. Unfortunately, the health care providers at Mount Sinai made a variety of surgical errors that ultimately led to his death. Our medical malpractice lawyers obtained a confidential settlement for the family.
North Shore Medical Center
North Shore Medical Center is a 357-bed Steward Health Care hospital with 400 medical staff and 700 employees. The hospital has operated for over 60 years and specializes in high-risk maternity care and cancer treatment. Like the other hospitals listed here, North Shore’s Leapfrog rating has decreased in recent years, sinking from a “B” in 2021 to a “C” in 2022 to a “D” in 2023. The hospital performs worse than average for MRSA infections and infections in the blood.
U.S. News and World Report also ranked North Shore Medical Center below average for cancer treatment, heart surgeries, and back surgeries. Patients rated the hospital one star out of five in every category except noise level. Other reviewers reported a general lack of respect from the medical staff, patient deaths, uncleanliness, labor and delivery unit problems, and a lack of basic patient care.
According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, North Shore has faced 176 medical malpractice claims since 1994, 65 of which involved patient deaths. Twenty-nine cases resulted in payments over $1 million, and 13 cases resulted in no payment.
West Boca Medical Center
Part of the Palm Beach Health Network, West Boca Medical Center has been operating in Boca Raton for nearly 40 years. The hospital offers general medical and surgical care, orthopedics, robotic surgery, a Level III NICU, emergency care, and women’s and children’s services. West Boca Medical Center received a “B” Leapfrog rating in 2021, a “C” in 2022, and a “D” in 2024, performing worse than average for urinary tract infections.
According to U.S. News and World Report, West Boca Medical Center received a one-star rating for patient experience in every category and ranked below average for cancer treatment, heart attack treatment, back surgery, and hip replacements. Patients complained of a lack of care in the NICU, a lack of staff knowledge, and general uncleanliness.
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reports that patients have filed 116 medical malpractice claims against West Boca Medical Center since 1999, 28 of which involved patient deaths and 19 of which resulted in payments exceeding $1 million.
Why Choosing the Right Legal Team Matters
The Florida medical malpractice attorneys at Freedland Harwin Valori Gander have recovered over $2.6 billion in settlements and verdicts for medical malpractice victims. These cases require significant pre-suit investigation, a thorough understanding of medicine, and in-depth knowledge of the state’s malpractice laws. Our attorneys have the experience, skill, and track record in cases involving substandard hospital care to pursue the justice you deserve.
Hospital negligence is a reasonableness standard for a hospital and its staff and requires significant evidence to prove. At FHVG, we will guide you through the legal process after you’ve experienced medical negligence, gathering all necessary evidence to prove your case and earn you the compensation you deserve.
Contact Our Medical Malpractice Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Seeking care at a poorly rated hospital can result in serious injuries or even death for patients. If you or a loved one has suffered due to medical negligence at one of these hospitals, it’s important to take legal action to seek justice and recover compensation for all you’ve been through, and FHVG can help.
For over 20 years, FHVG has worked to protect the rights of medical malpractice victims in Florida and nationwide. We have the experience, resources, and fortitude to go up against large corporations on your behalf.
Get started on your case today with a free consultation by calling 954-467-6400 or filling out our online contact form.
