4 California hospitals get D grades for patient safety

Four hospitals in California received a D grade in a new national patient safety report that evaluates healthcare quality and risk prevention across the United States.

The findings come from The Leapfrog Group, which releases biannual Hospital Safety Grades based on how well facilities protect patients from medical errors, infections, and preventable harm, News.Az reports, citing Sacramento Bee.

In its spring 2026 assessment, four California hospitals were assigned a D rating out of 285 evaluated statewide. No hospitals in the state received an F grade.

The hospitals include El Centro Regional Medical Center in El Centro, Los Angeles Community Hospital in Los Angeles, Norwalk Community Hospital in Norwalk, and Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley.

Each facility was cited for different safety-related weaknesses, including infection control, communication between staff and patients, medication safety, and electronic prescribing systems. Some hospitals also scored better in areas such as surgical safety and bedside care, according to the report.

The Leapfrog Group said hospital performance overall is improving nationwide but emphasized that safety levels still vary significantly between institutions, urging patients to review safety data when planning non-emergency care.

The report is based on roughly 30 performance measures gathered from federal health databases and patient experience surveys, and it is intended to help improve transparency in healthcare quality.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada