Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center Earns "Straight A's" for Patient Safety from Leapfrog's Hospital Safety Score

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. – Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center was recognized for its dedication to patient safety by being awarded an “A” grade in the Spring 2015 Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from preventable medical errors, injuries and infections within the hospital. The hospital was also recognized as a “Straight A’s” hospital, as it has never received a grade lower than an A from the Hospital Safety Score since the Score first launched in June 2012. Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center is one of 182 hospitals in the U.S. and one of the few hospitals in Orange County to receive this rating.

“We are extremely proud to receive another top grade in patient safety, which validates our tireless commitment to the well-being of our patients and served communities. Providing the highest quality care and patient safety remains among our top priorities and it is our responsibility to continue to enhance our efforts,” said Marcia Manker, CEO of Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center.

An “A” grade is one of the most meaningful honors a hospital can achieve, and one of the most valuable indicators for patients looking for a safe place to receive care. The Hospital Safety Score is the gold standard rating for patient safety, compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading patient safety experts and administered by The Leapfrog Group, a national, nonprofit hospital safety watchdog. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the Score is free to the public and designed to give consumers information they can use to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay.

“Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center’s achievement of Straight A’s validates its achievement in preventing harm within the hospital, and we are proud to recognize the efforts of the care providers and staff,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, which administers the Hospital Safety Score. “Patient safety requires constant vigilance, and we encourage Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center and all other A hospitals to continue demonstrating unrelenting commitment to patients by consistently working to provide a safe environment for care.”

Developed under the guidance of Leapfrog’s Blue Ribbon Expert Panel, the Hospital Safety Score uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single A, B, C, D, or F score, representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm. More than 2,500 U.S. general hospitals were assigned scores in April 2015, with about 31-percent receiving an A grade. The Hospital Safety Score is fully transparent, offering a full analysis of the data and methodology used in determining grades on the website. Now, for the first time, patients can also review their hospital’s past safety performance alongside its current grade on the Hospital Safety Score site, allowing them to determine which local hospitals have the best track record in patient safety and which have demonstrated consistent improvement.

To see Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center’s full score, and to access consumer-friendly tips for patients and loved ones visiting the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org or follow The Hospital Safety Score on Twitter or Facebook. Consumers can also download the free Hospital Safety Score mobile app for Apple and Android devices.

For more information about Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center, please log on to www.memorialcare.org/orangecoast.