Only one Stanislaus County hospital got an ‘A’ for safety, report says. See why
A Stanislaus County hospital is among the safest hospitals in the country, according to a nonprofit organization that studies patient safety and care.
The Leapfrog Group issues Hospital Safety Grade reports twice a year for nearly 3,000 general hospitals in the United States.
Grades are based on several critical factors, including rates of preventable errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.
The group’s latest report, released May 1 and searchable as an online database, grades health care facilities across the nation on a scale of A to F — with A being the highest grade and F the lowest.
Out of the four Stanislaus County hospitals ranked by Leapfrog, only one received an “A” grade for spring 2025.
Here’s which one:
What is the most safe hospital in Stanislaus County?
Kaiser Foundation Hospital, 4601 Dale Road in Modesto, was rated the most safe hospital in Stanislaus County.
According to new data from The Leapfrog Group, the hospital received top scores for its effective practices in preventing medical errors and responsive doctors, nurses and other staff.
Error prevention measures highlighted in the report include safe medication administration, proper hand-washing protocols and clear communication about medications and discharge plans, as well as strong teamwork among staff to minimize risks to patients.
“Hospital leaders are aware of the hospital’s patient safety problems, work with hospital staff to fix them and share their efforts with the larger community,” The Leapfrog Group said. “Leaders also make it a priority to learn about and use the best methods to prevent errors and are held accountable for identifying and reducing unsafe practices.”
Which Modesto medical center got a ‘D’ grade for safety?
Doctors Medical Center of Modesto, 1441 Florida Ave. in Modesto, received the lowest safety grade of any Stanislaus County hospital evaluated in The Leapfrog Group’s latest report.
The hospital received an “D” grade for spring 2025.
According to new data from The Leapfrog Group, the hospital received poor scores for infections, surgical complication, patient safety issues and error-preventative practices, as well as poor performance by doctors, nurses and other staff members.
Doctors Medical Center told The Modesto Bee that it’s “constantly working to improve patient safety and quality care but these false ratings undermine the doctor-hospital-patient relationship that is essential to positive health outcomes.”
How did other local hospitals rank?
These were The Leapfrog Group’s safety grades for other hospitals in Stanislaus County for spring 2025:
B grade
Memorial Medical Center, 1700 Coffee Road, Modesto
C grade
Emanuel Medical Center, 825 Delbon Ave., Turlock
How did The Leapfrog Group come up with its findings?
The Leapfrog Group assigns hospitals a grade from A to F based on their “overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors.”
These grades are calculated using up to 30 national performance measures sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, The Leapfrog Hospital Survey and other data.
Under the guidance of a panel of patient safety experts, The Leapfrog Group selected about two dozen evidence-based measures, grouped into five key categories, to create its scoring methodology.
Those categories are:
- Infections
- Problems with surgery
- Safety problems
- Practices to prevent errors
- Doctors, nurses and hospital staff
