California’s Orange County Hospitals Receive Safety Grades

A Kaiser Permanente hospital in Anaheim, Calif., on March 24, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Six out of 21 hospitals in Orange County, California received “A” grades for hospital safety while two received “Ds,” according to a report released May 3 by The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit healthcare watchdog organization.

Those receiving A grades were:

• Kaiser Permanente Orange County-Irvine Medical Center in Irvine
• Kaiser Permanente Orange County-Anaheim Medical Center in Anaheim
• Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach
• Hoag Hospital Irvine in Irvine
• West Anaheim Medical Center in Anaheim
• MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills

And those receiving Ds:

• Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center in Fountain Valley
• Chapman Global Medical Center in Orange

The bi-annual report—which first started in 2012—is based on statistics and data from the federal agency Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, public data, and Leapfrog’s own surveying.

Specialty hospitals, such as children’s or cancer centers, and critical access medical centers are not included in the analysis.

The grading system—created by a panel of patient safety experts from around the country—evaluates inpatient injuries, infections, medical and medication errors, structural soundness of the staff, and technology quality.

Grades do not consider death rates for various procedures, public ratings for specialty aspects of hospitals, and readmission rates.

According to the report, hospitals experienced a surge in healthcare-associated infections—such as those that occur with the use of a catheter, during surgeries, or when a patient receives injections—during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The dramatic spike in [hospital associated infections] reported in this Safety Grade cycle should stop hospitals in their tracks,” said Leapfrog Group CEO Leah Binder in a statement. “We recognize the tremendous strain the pandemic put on hospitals and their workforce, but alarming findings like these indicate hospitals must recommit to patient safety and build more resilience.”

The report also showed nationwide declines in patient experience and medical communication from staff.

Other grades for Orange County hospitals were:

B Grade

• St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton
• Providence St. Joseph Hospital Orange in Orange
• Anaheim Regional Medical Center in Anaheim
• Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center in Garden Grove
• University of California, Irvine Health in Orange

C Grade

• Huntington Beach Hospital in Huntington Beach
• Los Alamitos Medical Center in Los Alamitos
• Providence Mission Hospital Mission Viejo in Mission Viejo
• MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley
• Anaheim Global Medical Center in Anaheim
• Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana
• South Coast Global Medical Center in Santa Ana
• Providence Mission Hospital Laguna Beach in Laguna Beach