SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Three Southwest Riverside County hospitals made dramatic improvements in patient safety over the last year, according to an update Wednesday from an independent national nonprofit watchdog group.
The Leapfrog Group released its spring 2024 Hospital Safety Grades, assigning an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” to nearly 3,000 general hospitals. The grades are based on how well the hospitals prevent medical errors, accidents and infections.
Southwest Healthcare Rancho Springs Hospital in Murrieta and Inland Valley Hospital in Wildomar each earned an “A” grade. Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta also received an “A.” The achievement was a first for all three. Each was graded “C” one year ago. In 2016, Inland Valley and Rancho Springs received failing grades from Leapfrog.
“This ‘A’ grade is a reflection on all the hard work and dedication in which our entire team has contributed to the highest quality of safety measures for our patients and their families,” said Jared Giles, CEO of SWH Rancho Springs Hospital and Inland Valley Hospital.
Trevor Wright, CEO of Loma Linda University Health hospitals, said the national recognition “speaks to our dedication to delivering high-quality care to our patients. Achievement at this level of consistency is what makes world-class care possible.”
Nearby Temecula Valley Hospital received a “B” grade from Leapfrog, the same score as last spring.
While Southwest Riverside County hospital services have improved greatly over the last several years, Leah Binder, president, and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said patient safety remains a “crisis-level hazard” in U.S. healthcare.
“Some hospitals are much better than others at protecting patients from harm, and that’s why we make the Hospital Safety Grade available to the public and why we encourage all hospitals to focus more attention on safety,” Binder said.
Leapfrog reports that, based on peer-reviewed research, an estimated 250,000 people a year die of preventable errors and infections in hospitals, which makes patient safety problems the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Leapfrog grades are updated biannually in the spring and fall. To see the full spring 2024 grade details on all hospitals, including those in Southwest Riverside County, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
