UCSD Health System announced on Nov. 10 that both the Hillcrest and La Jolla hospitals were two of the 790 hospitals to score an A on the Hospital Safety Score rating out of the approximately 2,500 scored biannually. The two hospitals have consistently received As since 2012.
In a Nov. 10 UCSD Health System press release, CEO Paul Viviano attributed the ratings to the hospitals’ employees.
“We are honored and gratified that UC San Diego Health System has again received Leapfrog’s highest grade for patient safety,” said Viviano. “These national safety scores reflect the deep and continuous commitment of UC San Diego Health System employees to provide specialized lifesaving care in a safe and patient-centered environment.”
The scoring is performed by The Leapfrog Group, which utilizes survey data voluntarily provided by hospitals in the Leapfrog Hospital Survey along with national performance measures from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey and Health Information Technology Supplement to compile and assign ratings of A, B, C or F.
Twenty-eight measures are selected by the Leapfrog Blue Ribbon Panel, a panel of patient care experts who categorize the data surveyed into three categories.
On Nov. 10, Leapfrog President and CEO Leah Binder discussed that the purpose of the scores are to facilitate the process of patients selecting the best places to receive care.
“Consumers have largely taken the time to educate themselves about health care insurance plans and pricing,” said Binder in a press release. “Now, we need patients to take the next step, putting safety first for themselves and their families and that means seeking out the safest hospitals in their area. The Hospital Safety Score arms consumers with that information.”
In addition to receiving an A rating from the Leapfrog Group, UCSD Health System was ranked number one in the San Diego metropolitan area by U.S. News and World Report and fifth in California this past July.
