Dignity Health's Bay Area Hospitals Earn A Grades for Safety

Dignity Health's Bay Area hospitals-Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, and Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary's Medical Center in San Francisco-were all recognized for dedication to patient safety with an "A" grade in the Fall 2016 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. Leapfrog rates how well hospitals protect patients from preventable medical errors, injuries and infections within the hospital.

“Patient safety is our highest priority, and I’m proud that each of our hospitals has been recognized in this way,” said Todd Strumwasser, MD, senior vice president of operations for the San Francisco Bay Area. “This recognition reflects the commitment of our staff, physicians, and leadership to provide quality care in a safe and caring environment. 

The Hospital Safety Grade 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, independent nonprofit. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D, and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public.

Leapfrog’s announcement adds to a growing list of recent accomplishments for Dignity Health’s Bay Area hospitals. All four hospitals also received 2017 Healthgrades awards. Sequoia was recognized as one of America’s 50 Best hospitals for cardiac surgery and one of America’s 100 Best hospitals for cardiac care. Healthgrades recognized St. Mary’s among the top 10 percent in the nation for critical care. Dominican received 5-star ratings for the quality of its care of gastrointestinal bleeds and gallbladder removal surgery. Saint Francis received 5 stars for the quality of its total hip replacement procedures for the third year in a row.

About Dignity Health Bay Area Hospitals

Dignity Health includes four accredited, not-for-profit hospitals in the Bay Area – Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco, Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, and Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. All four hospitals are Certified Stroke Centers, offer emergency services, and have received national recognition for superior safety and quality from Healthgrades, a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals.