Kaiser Permanente's Redwood City hospital wins top award for safety

Kaiser Permanente’s Redwood City hospital received the top score of “A” by the Leapfrog Group in its annual safety report, which examined and graded more than 2,500 hospitals throughout the United States. 81 percent of Kaiser Permanente hospitals received an “A” grade, while nationally only 30 percent of non-Kaiser Permanente hospitals received an “A.”

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.

“These safety scores highlight the high-quality health care that Kaiser Permanente provides to the Redwood City and the mid-Peninsula community,” said Sheila Gilson, RN and hospital executive. “This continued recognition is an honor, and it reflects the skill and dedication of our physicians, nurses and staff on behalf of our patients.”

Kaiser Permanente Redwood City opened a new hospital 6 months ago, serving members from Palo Alto to San Mateo.

The Leapfrog Group is a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage founded in 2000 to work for improvements in health care safety, quality and affordability. It is an independent advocacy group working with a broad range of partners, including hospitals and insurers. The Hospital Safety Score, considered the gold standard for rating patient safety in the U.S., is an analysis based on 28 variables, including rates of infections, medication mix-ups and health care-acquired injuries. It uses data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the American Hospital Association, and its own Leapfrog survey.

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.