Kaiser hospital earns 4-star rating

DOWNEY - For the sixth consecutive year, Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, along with all other Kaiser Permanente hospitals in the Southern and Northern California region, has received a top four-star rating in the state's annual clinical-quality report card.Kaiser earned the highest possible rating for overall quality of care as measured by cancer screenings, diabetes care, heart care, hypertension treatment, maternity care, and other quality-of-care measures. No other health plan received the top rating for overall clinical care measures. The annual HMO Quality Report Card gives California consumers side-by-side comparisons of the 10 largest HMO and six PPO health plans in the state, ranking them on several national "quality of care" and "member care experience" measures that have "significant implications for personal health." "We are delighted that our members are so positive about the care they receive, from prevention to our top-notch care treating diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease," said Edward Ellison, MD, executive medical director of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group.

********** Published: Feb. 6, 2014 - Volume 12 - Issue 43