Good Medicine: Eight Texas Hospitals Lauded As Best In The Nation By Experts

Needing care in a hospital environment can be anxiety-inducing. We are there because of an issue that's serious enough to require that level of care, so it's not unusual to be on edge.

So we trust that we are surrounded by professionals who will make the right decisions for our health...right? But how do we know for sure?

Luckily there is a resource to help you gauge the quality of care at your hospital, and (if your insurance allows) decide between alternatives if you have a planned procedure- The Leapfrog Group.

The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit watchdog organization that serves as a voice for health care consumers and purchasers, using their collective influence to foster positive change in U.S. health care. 

The Leapfrog group grades hospitals using a standard metrics of care to help inform patients about the quality of the hospital they are utilizing.

Some of those metrics are administrative in nature, including ethical patient billing and patient privacy and consent.

Others are gravely serious, like how often a hospital experiences botched surgeries or introduce deadly pathogens to their patients.

And still more are subjective in nature and based on patient reponses- like how well the nurses and doctors communicate to patients.

Based on the collective "grades" of these metrics, hosiptals are graded with A (excellent) to D (dismal) ratings- and you can dig into individual catagories if you so desire.

Some hospitals are so well graded that they receive recognition as a Leapfog Top Hospital. These are the best of the best, and luckily, we have eight such hospitals here in Texas- and some have been on the top for multiple years!

Here's a look at the best of the best in Texas (and keep scrolling to see the worst of the worst, too. )