The Leapfrog Group recognized Kaiser Permanente’s Modesto and Manteca hospitals with a top score of “A” in its biannual Hospital Safety Grades report. After reviewing hospital clinical performance, The Leapfrog Group assigned letter grades to nearly 3,000 hospitals throughout the United States.

Hospitals received grades based on approximately two dozen measures that analyze patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

This spring, 17 Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Northern California received “A” scores including: Antioch, Fremont, Fresno, Manteca, Modesto, Oakland, Richmond, Roseville, San Francisco, San Leandro, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, South San Francisco, Vacaville, Vallejo, and Walnut Creek. Additionally, Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Redwood City, Sacramento, and San Jose received “B” scores.

More than 80 percent of Kaiser Permanente Northern California (17 of 21) hospitals received an “A” grade. In California overall, only 34 percent of the state’s hospitals earned the top grade.

“Providing safe, high quality, patient-centered care is our top priority,” said Aphriekah DuHaney-West, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente Central Valley. “We are proud of this recognition, which is a testament to the dedication of our physicians, nurses and staff to ensure our patients, members and the communities we serve are cared for in the safest way possible.”

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits, released its Hospital Safety Grades after examining publicly available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors and infections at U.S. hospitals. The report includes data collected by national health care organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Scores are calculated based on more than two dozen publicly available measures, and hospitals are then assigned A, B, C, D or F grades for their safety records. The grades are released as a free resource to help patients and their families make informed health care decisions.

“The Leapfrog scores demonstrate our ongoing commitment to provide exceptional care to everyone who trusts us with their care,” said Sanjay Marwaha, MD, physician in chief for Kaiser Permanente Central Valley. “Our clinical teams continue to provide world-class care and we are honored to be recognized once again as a leader in patient safety.”

Kaiser Permanente is one of America’s leading integrated health care providers and serves more than 12.6 million members. Nationally, 29 of 39 Kaiser Permanente hospitals, nearly 75 percent, received a Leapfrog Safety “A” grade.

For more information and a complete list of the hospital safety grades, visit Leapfrog.