In fact, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Diego has lower survival rates than other hospitals in San Diego which did not get recognition from Leapfrog Group. Why would this be? Is it possible that Leapgfrog Group is looking to save money on health insurance for employees, not to ensure the survival of their employees?
Recently I sent a letter to Jeffrey Weisz, executive medical director of Southern California Permanente Medical Group, telling him that certain Kaiser doctors had inappropriate links with public agencies that buy employee health coverage. I can prove that Kaiser violated the law to help an employer who was being sued by a Kaiser patient. I told Dr. Weisz I'd hand over documentation if the San Diego head of SCPMG, James Malone, would meet with me. I received no response.
So I'm not surprised that "public agencies that buy employee health coverage" would vote for Kaiser. They are getting more from Kaiser than is readily apparent.
"A consortium of large corporations and public agencies that buy employee health coverage, The Leapfrog Group rates hospitals and publishes the annual list in its effort to encourage hospitals to improve safety, quality and affordability."
UCSD, Kaiser San Diego named national Top Hospitals
Janet Lavelle
SDUT
Dec. 6, 2011
UCSD Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center were among 65 hospitals nationwide and the only ones in the county to be named a 2011 “Top Hospital” by the influential Leapfrog Group on Tuesday.
A consortium of large corporations and public agencies that buy employee health coverage, The Leapfrog Group rates hospitals and publishes the annual list in its effort to encourage hospitals to improve safety, quality and affordability.
Nearly 1,200 hospitals voluntarily submitted performance data and participated in Leapfrog’s annual survey, which uses nationally standardized measures so consumers can compare hospitals nationwide.
The survey focused on three areas: patient outcomes, resources used to care for patients, and management practices promoting safety and quality, according to Leapfrog. The organization looked at what hospitals do to prevent medical errors, reduce deaths in high-risk procedures like heart bypass surgery, and reduce hospital readmissions for conditions such as pneumonia and heart attack.
Locally, Alvarado, Paradise Valley and Pomerado hospitals did not participate. Among the 65 award winners nationwide, 21 were in California and 18 of those were Kaiser Permanente hospitals. For more information and to view The Leapfrog Group hospital ratings, visit www.leapfroggroup.org.
Other organizations also provide data for consumers to compare hospital safety and quality.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a nationwide "Hospital Compare" ratings website.
The nonprofit California HealthCare Foundation provides a "Cal Hospital Compare" ratings website just for California hospitals.
[Maura Larkins comment: Warning! The "Cal Hospital Compare" site only looks at how the hospital treats you, not how your doctor treats you. If the doctors are giving poor diagnosis and treatment, you won't see that reflected in this site. You'll only find out about infections and accidents in the hospital. The truth is that Kaiser is rated far lower than UCSD and many other San Diego hospitals as far as overall survival for patients. It is bizarre that Kaiser is given a position alongside UCSD by Leapfrog Group. The motive of Leapfrog Group does not seem to be to ensure the best healthcare for employees. Still don't believe that Kaiser is getting special handling from Leapfrog Group? Look at the list below.]
The Leapfrog Group’s Top Performing Hospitals of 2011
By Khoffman
healthcareerweb.com
December 6, 2011
Leapfrog Group Best Hospitals 2011
Its the end of 2011, which means that the best of 2011 list are coming out. The Leapfrog Group continued their eleven year tradition and have recognized 65 top performing hospitals of 2011.
“The Leapfrog Group survey focuses on three critical areas: (1) how patients fare, (2) resources used to care for patients, and (3) management practices that promote safety and quality. In each of the three areas, Leapfrog asks hospitals to report on nationally standardized measures so healthcare consumers can compare hospitals in their community and across the country.”
Leapfrog Group’s full list of the top performing hospitals of 2011:
2011 Leapfrog Top Hospitals
Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Panorama City Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center (CA)
Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center (CA)
Mills-Peninsula Health Services (CA)
Stanford Hospital and Clinics (CA)
UC San Diego Health System, Hillcrest (CA)
Baptist Health South Florida Homestead Hospital (FL)
NorthShore University HealthSystem-Evanston Hospital (IL)
NorthShore University HealthSystem-Glenbrook Hospital (IL)
Northwestern Memorial Hospital (IL)
Rush University Medical Center (IL)
Baystate Medical Center (MA)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (MA)
Brigham and Women’s Hospital (MA)
Anne Arundel Medical Center (MD)
University of Maryland Medical Center (MD)
Detroit Receiving Hospital/University Health Center (MI)
Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital (MI)
Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital (MI)
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland (MI)
University of Michigan Health System (MI)
Regions Hospital (MN)
St. Mary’s Hospital of Rochester (MN)
University of North Carolina Hospitals (NC)
Hackensack University Medical Center (NJ)
The Valley Hospital of Ridgewood(NJ)
Presbyterian Hospital (NM)
Montefiore Medical Center, Weiler Division (NY)
Roswell Park Cancer Institute (NY)
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OH)
The Christ Hospital of Cincinnati (OH)
University Hospitals Case Medical Center (OH)
Lehigh Valley Hospital (PA)
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System – Downtown (SC)
Vanderbilt University Hospital (TN)
Swedish Medical Center First Hill Campus (WA)
Virginia Mason Medical Center (WA)
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