Salinas Valley Health Earns Top Honors

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

September 6, 2023 ­–Salinas Valley Health is among just nine hospitals throughout California to meet high performance standards in all three important categories tracked by Cal Hospital Compare. Salinas Valley Health achieved Honor Roll status in Maternity Care, Opioid Stewardship and Patient Safety, a distinction earned by fewer than 3% of California hospitals.

“Our team continually impresses me with their commitment to excellence,” said Pete Delgado, president/CEO of Salinas Valley Health. “The level of care we provide and attention to detail is evident throughout our organization. Every action we take is to deliver exceptional care to our patients and evidence based recognition like this validates our efforts to operate at the highest level.”

California Health & Human Services Agency (CalHHS) joined Cal Compare Hospitals in announcing how many hospitals had met performance standards and in which categories.

• 107 hospitals met performance standards in maternity care.
• 83 hospitals met performance standards in opioid stewardship.
• 82 hospitals met performance standards in patient safety.
• 9 hospitals met performance standards for maternity care, opioid stewardship, and patient safety.

“Improving the quality of patient care in hospitals is an ongoing process,” said CalHHS Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly. “These annual measurements through Cal Hospital Compare help us to applaud those hospitals doing excellent work and show where improvement is needed. The last 12 months represent a period of recovery and growth for many of our hospitals, so it’s a privilege to celebrate their exemplary performance, especially the nine hospitals that achieved recognition on the Maternity Care, Opioid Care, and Patient Safety Honor Rolls.”

Salinas Valley Health has repeatedly demonstrated excellence in each of the categories which Cal Hospital Compare evaluates and benchmarks on an annual basis.

Maternity Care: US News & World Report rated Salinas Valley Health high performing in nine service areas, including maternity care and rated Salinas Valley Health as one of the best regional hospitals in the state. For almost a decade, California has recognized hospitals like Salinas Valley Health which meet or exceed the C-section target for target for low-risk, first births. Cal Hospital Compare states that if all hospitals met the 23.6% statewide target, 2,734 C-sections would have been avoided in 2023 alone. For mothers, overuse of C-sections can result in higher rates of complications like hemorrhage, transfusions, infection, and blood clots. The surgery also brings risks for babies, including higher rates of infection, respiratory complications, neonatal intensive care unit stays, and lower breastfeeding rates.

Opioid Stewardship: Salinas Valley Health has taken a leadership role in addressing substance use disorder, opioid and fentanyl use and overdose awareness education. The initiatives are championed by emergency room physician, Dr. Erica Locke. Since 2019, California has recognized hospitals for their progress and performance promoting safe and effective opioid use, providing treatment for patients with opioid use disorder, providing access to naloxone to prevent opioid overdose related deaths, and reducing barriers to care by addressing stigma. Salinas Valley Health is one of 107 hospitals, out of more than 350 hospitals, voluntarily reporting data to evolve strategies and one of 83 making this year’s honor roll.

Patient Safety: Salinas Valley Health has earned an A patient safety rating from Leapfrog for the Fall 2023 Survey, it’s ninth consecutive A rating and awarded as well as the 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award from Healthgrades. Cal Hospital Compare utilizes the Leapfrog Patient Safety Grade along with other objective, publicly available patient safety measures to evaluate hospitals across a variety of domains including hospital acquired infections, adverse patient safety events, sepsis management, and patient experience. The 2023 Patient Safety Honor Roll recognizes 82 adult, acute care hospitals with high safety profiles in comparison to other hospitals. The 82 hospitals represent 24% of the 347 adult, acute care hospitals considered for the Honor Roll. This honor roll offers Californians a rigorously evaluated list of hospitals that have consistently demonstrated a strong culture of safety across multiple departments.