How Does Your Hospital Rate For Safety?

Several Los Angeles area hospitals have received an “A” grade in the Fall 2015 Hospital Safety Score. A few, however, fall short, with well-established hospitals taking B and C grades.

Released last week by The Leapfrog Group, the survey assesses hospitals on how safe they keep their patients from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. Leapfrog launched the survey in 2012.

While Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance, Kaiser Foundation Hospital South Bay in Harbor City, Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, and UCLA Medical Center of Santa Monica received an A grade, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, St. John’s Health Center of Santa Monica, Keck Hospital of USC, and Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center took home B grades.

C grades went to Los Angeles County - Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Torrance; Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro, and University of California Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Approximately 440,000 deaths occur each year due to hospital errors and injuries, according to Leapfrog, which developed the survey to reduce those outcomes “by publicly recognizing safety and exposing harm.”

“No matter how large or small, no matter what kind of community they serve, all hospitals have the potential to give their patients this high level of safe care,” said Leah Binder, president & CEO of The Leapfrog Group in a news release.

Other regional hospitals receiving an A grade include Long Beach Memorial Medical Center; St. Mary Medical Center of Long Beach; Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach; Lakewood Regional Medical Center; Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center; Los Alamitos Medical Center; West Anaheim Medical Center; Hoag Hospital Irvine; Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Orange County-Irvine, and University of California Irvine Medical Center.

California ranked 11th in the nationwide survey with 34.6 percent of its surveyed hospitals earning an A grade. Maine was at the top of the heap with 11 of its 16 hospitals earning A grades for a 68.8 percent score. Massachusetts was second at 60.3 percent followed by Florida’s 56.4 percent.

The Hospital Safety Score assigns A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,500 U.S. hospitals two times a year. Survey scores are calculated by top patient safety experts and peer-reviewed.