"A" grade for safety: Kaiser Redwood City and South San Francisco

The Leapfrog Group gave 14 Kaiser Permanente hospitals across Northern California California, including Redwood City and South San Francisco, a top score of “A” in its annual safety report, which examined and graded more than 2,600 hospitals throughout the United States.

At the same time, Kaiser Permanente Redwood City medical center received the Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award for their outstanding performance in delivering a positive experience for patients during their hospital stay.

The Healthgrades honor relies of data collected from patient surveys; Leapfrog uses hospital data reported to healthcare regulators.

“The Leapfrog hospital safety score is truly the gold standard in safe patient care. We are proud of this national recognition as it reflects our strong commitment to patient safety,” said William Firtch, MD, Physician in Chief, Kaiser Permanente Redwood City.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits, released its Hospital Safety Scores after examining publicly available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors and infections at U.S. hospitals, which were then assigned A, B, C, D or F grades for their safety records.

“Our physicians, nurses, and staff are committed to putting our members’ and patients’ care and safety at the center of everything we do,” said John Skerry, MD, Physician in Chief, Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco. “This recognition reflects our collaboration and desire to deliver exceptional, high-quality care to improve health outcomes.”

Nationally, 28 of 39 Kaiser Permanente hospitals, or 74 percent, received an “A” grade, compared to approximately 30 percent of all hospitals graded in the U.S.

Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Northern California with “A” scores include: Antioch, Fresno, Redwood City, Roseville, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Rafael, Santa Clara, San Leandro, Santa Rosa, South Sacramento, South San Francisco, Vallejo and Walnut Creek. Additionally, Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Fremont, Manteca, Modesto, Oakland, San Jose and Vacaville received a “B” score.

To see all hospital scores as they compare nationally and locally, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org, the Hospital Safety Score website, which also provides information on how the public can protect themselves and loved ones during a hospital stay.

For the Healthgrades report, please visit https://www.healthgrades.com/quality/outstanding-patient-experience-award-2019-recipients