Kaiser Permanente SF 'among safest in nation,' says new report

(KRON) -- Kaiser Permanente San Francisco hospital has been named one of the safest in the nation for patient care, earning an "A" grade.

The distinction comes from The Leapfrog Group's biannual Hospital Safety Grades report. Leapfrog said Kaiser, which serves 12.5 million members in the U.S., got the top honors based on its clinical data and how it scored across two dozen safety measures, including limiting patient injuries, reducing medical errors, and preventing infections.

“Achieving this ‘A’ grade, yet again, is a testament to the high-quality, safe care provided by our physicians, nurses, and staff of Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center,” said Tarek Salaway, senior vice president and area manager for the Kaiser Permanente Golden Gate service area. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to our community defined by clinical excellence, patient safety and ongoing advancement of quality year after year.”

Overall, 14 Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Northern California received A grades from Leapfrog this fall, including Antioch, Fresno, Manteca, Modesto, Oakland, Roseville, San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, South Sacramento, and South San Francisco.

The Leapfrog Group is an independent national nonprofit that publishes its Hospital Safety Grades by culling available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections at U.S. hospitals. The report contains data gathered by national health care organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hospitals are then given A, B, C, D or F grades for their safety records. 

You can see the complete list of the hospital safety grades by visiting Leapfrog.