Dignity Health's Bay Area Hospitals Again Receive "A" Grades for Patient Safety

SAN FRANCISCO (April 12, 2017) – 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—have again received “A” grades from the Leapfrog Group for their commitment to reducing errors, infections, and accidents that can harm patients. Leapfrog, a nonprofit organization committed to driving quality, safety, and transparency in the U.S. health care system, released its Spring 2017 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades today, which assign A, B, C, D, and F letter grades to hospitals nationwide.  

“I am proud that the safe, compassionate care provided by our hospitals has been recognized by Leapfrog again,” said Todd Strumwasser, MD, senior vice president of operations for the San Francisco Bay Area. “Achieving the highest safety standards in the country takes tremendous commitment from all of our staff, physicians, and leadership, and they all deserve thanks and congratulations.” 

Developed under the guidance of an expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign 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. 

To see the full grades and access consumer-friendly patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org. Each of the hospitals also earned “A” grades in the Fall 2016 Leapfrog Hospital Safety grades. 

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. 

Saint Francis Memorial Hospital is home to the Bothin Burn Center, the largest dedicated burn unit in Northern California. Saint Francis also features the Center for Sports Medicine and the Saint Francis Orthopedic Institute, and specializes in emergency medicine. www.dignityhealth.org/bayarea/locations/saintfrancis 

St. Mary’s Medical Center opened the nation’s first digital cardiac catheterization laboratory and continues to be a pioneer in multidisciplinary spine care. St. Mary’s also houses a Total Joint Center, a Comprehensive Cancer Center and is recognized for outstanding treatment of stroke. www.dignityhealth.org/bayarea/locations/stmarys 

Sequoia Hospital, located in Redwood City, is a nationally known pioneer in advanced cardiac care, affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute. The hospital also offers award-winning maternity care, and has been recognized as one of America’s top 100 hospitals. www.dignityhealth.org/bayarea/locations/sequoia 

Dominican Hospital is a certified Chest Pain Center and offers the only comprehensive Cancer Center in Santa Cruz County. Dominican’s services include a total joint replacement program, a birth center, a level 3 NICU, and the hospital is a leading provider of cardiac and neurological services. www.dignityhealth.org/bayarea/locations/dominican