OLEAN, N.Y. (WKBW) — The federal government ranks hospitals on a five-star rating system, with five stars as the best and one star as the worst.
Olean General Hospital was rated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as a one-star hospital, both in its overall star rating and in its patient survey rating. That ranking factors in complaints by patients.
Hospital officials cited the COVID-19 pandemic as cause for staffing issues and patient safety complaints, but records show a history of poor patient satisfaction.
According to the New York State Department of Health, 54 percent of allegations made by patients were substantiated. That figure is double the statewide average of 27 percent.
Some of those deficiencies were related to allegations of poor supervision of nurses.
MORE: Olean General Hospital nurses frustrated by staffing shortage
According to HospitalInspections.org, the hospital was cited in January 2018 after “patient #1 sustained a fall after being ambulated to bathroom and left alone in bathroom by ED (emergency department) staff.”
In June 2019, OGH was cited again when staff failed to perform a patient assessment after “patient #1 reported that patient #27 had jumped into patient #1's bed.”
However, state records show the facility has not been fined by the state in the last three years.
In a statement provided to Eyewitness News, OGH officials wrote that “nurses are taking care of more patients than we would like.”
Hospital officials claim that their patient safety metrics indicate that patients are safe.
“Harm events including falls, hospital acquired infections and medication errors remain very low through the first five months of this year,” the statement read in part.
“No question we need experienced nurses, just like all hospitals and there are not enough in practice or in school to fill the need."
You can read the full statement from Olean General Hospital here.
