Kaiser Permanente Modesto hospital earned a top score of “A” for keeping patients safe in The Leapfrog Group’s biannual Hospital Safety Grades report.

After reviewing hospital clinical performance, Leapfrog assigns hospitals grades based on approximately two dozen measures that analyze patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections.

“Our commitment to safe, high-quality, person-centered care is the cornerstone of all that we do, and ensuring our patients, visitors and staff find safety and comfort in our facilities is a top priority,” said Aphriekah Duhaney-West, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente Central Valley. “This recognition is a reflection of the world-class care and dedication our teams demonstrate each and every day.”

This fall, 13 Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Northern California received “A” scores from Leapfrog including: Antioch, Modesto, Oakland, Richmond, Roseville, San Francisco, San Leandro, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, South San Francisco, Vallejo, and Walnut Creek.

“Our physicians work tirelessly each day to deliver the best patient care, and we take great pride in providing the best service to meet the diverse needs of our patients,” said Sanjay Marwaha, MD, physician-in-chief for Kaiser Permanente Central Valley.

The Leapfrog Group assigns letter grades to nearly 3,000 hospitals throughout the United States. The grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.

More than 60 percent of Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals received an “A” grade. In California overall, only about 30 percent of the state’s hospitals earned the top grade.

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.

Kaiser Permanente is one of America’s leading integrated health care providers and serves more than 12.7 million members. Nationally, 26 of 39 Kaiser Permanente hospitals, nearly 67 percent, received a Leapfrog Safety “A” grade. In contrast, less than 30 percent of the nation’s hospitals received an “A” rating.

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

Kaiser Permanente is recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of its members and the communities it serves. They currently serve 12.6 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org