Watchdog group gives 2 Stanislaus County hospitals ‘D’ grades for patient safety
Two Stanislaus County hospitals received “D” grades in a new national report evaluating patient safety at medical centers.
The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that monitors hospital safety and quality of care, releases its Hospital Safety Grade reports twice a year for nearly 3,000 general hospitals in the U.S.
“These largely preventable problems harm one in four hospital inpatients and cause as many as 250,000 deaths each year,” The Leapfrog Group said of the errors it evaluates.
The group’s latest report, released Nov. 13 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 286 California hospitals ranked by Leapfrog, only one received an “F” grade for fall 2025.
Norwalk Community Hospital, 13222 Bloomfield Ave. in Norwalk, received a failing grade in the latest report for performing “worse than average” in preventing the spread of drug-resistant staph infections and reducing patients’ risk of urinary tract infections.
Here’s a look at which Modesto-area hospitals earned a “D” this fall.
Which Stanislaus County hospitals were graded a ‘D’ for patient safety?
Out of the 286 California hospitals ranked by Leapfrog, 13 earned a “D” grade, including two in Stanislaus County.
Doctors Medical Center of Modesto, 1441 Florida Ave. in Modesto, and Emanuel Medical Center, 825 Delbon Ave. in Turlock, received low marks for “worse than average” performance in areas such as communication among doctors, nurses and hospital staff.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to improving patient safety and delivering the highest quality care; however, these false ratings undermine the vital trust between doctors, hospitals, and patients that is essential to achieving positive health outcomes,” the hospitals, which are both part of Tenet Healthcare Corp., wrote in a statement to The Modesto Bee.
The Leapfrog Group reported both hospitals performed “better than average” in preventing issues such as leaving dangerous objects in patients’ bodies after surgery.
Emanuel Medical Center was rated “worse than average” for blood infections and safe medication administration, while Doctors Medical Center received low marks for breathing complications after surgery.
“We stand with our sister hospitals, which earlier this year filed a complaint in Florida challenging The Leapfrog Group’s dangerous and misleading rankings under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act,” the hospitals’ statement from Nov. 24 reads.
What are the most unsafe hospitals in California?
The other 11 hospitals that received “D” grades from The Leapfrog Group were:
- Dameron Hospital in Stockton
- El Centro Regional Medical Center in El Centro
- Los Angeles Community Hospital in Los Angeles
- Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City
- Oroville Hospital in Oroville
- San Mateo Medical Center in San Mateo
- Santa Paula Hospital in Santa Paula
- Southern California Hospital at Culver City in Culver City
- Southern California Hospital at Hollywood in Los Angeles
- St. Rose Hospital in Hayward
- Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville
How did The Leapfrog Group come up with ratings?
The Leapfrog Group assigns hospitals a grade 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
“You should never refuse care in an emergency because of a hospital’s Safety Grade, but use this website as a guide for planned events and a research tool for potential emergencies,” The Leapfrog Group said on its website.
This story was originally published December 1, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
