Tri-City Medical Center gets an A for patient safety

Tri-City Medical Center achieved an A for its Hospital Safety Score based on all publicly available measures of patient safety.

The letter grade system was launched in June 2012 by Leapfrog Group, an employer-driven hospital quality watchdog. Consumers can access scores at http://www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.  

“Quality is one of our core values and our physicians, nurses and staff are dedicated to providing excellence in every aspect of the medical center’s work,” said Casey Fatch, interim CEO for Tri-City Medical Center.

Grades are awarded twice a year in May and October. Hospitals are given an A, B, C, D, or F letter grade reflecting how safe they are for patients based on the latest publically reported data available. These sources include CMS and the Leapfrog Survey, as well as secondary data sources.

Tri-City Medical Center has succeeded in achieving significant patient safety score improvement through a focused effort led by Chief Nursing Officer Sharon Schultz and her team. Efforts have included hourly rounding by medical center staff and additional rounding by its leadership, programs to decrease infections, emphasizing fall prevention, a Professional Nursing Governance Council led by staff nurses, efficiency and quality teams, and monthly audits and internal measurement to track the success of the medical center’s efforts.

About Tri-City Medical Center

Tri-City Medical Center has served its community for more than half a century and is a Gold Seal- approved full service, acute- care hospital with two advanced institutes and physicians practicing in 60 specialties. Tri- City Medical Center has become the county’s leader in robotic and minimally invasive surgical technologies, including being the exclusive countywide provider for the Mazor Renaissance Surgical Guidance System for surgical repair of spinal deformities, injuries and rehabilitation. Tri-City Medical Center also has the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in North San Diego County, now with the NICView System, a password-protected webcam system that allows parents and relatives to remotely view their newest family member. Tri-City Medical Center was named by the editors of Becker's Hospital Review both one of the “100 Great Hospitals in America” and one of the “100 Great Places to Work in Healthcare.” Selected from over 5,700 hospitals, Tri-City Medical Center was recognized as an innovator in medical treatments, research, technology and care delivery as well as an anchor of health in the country.

For more information about Tri-City Medical Center and Tri-City Healthcare District, please visit www.tricitymed.org.