Quality and Safety of Patient Care

Hospitals and doctors are not all alike. Across the nation and within your community, there are significant variations in the training and expertise of health care providers. The hospital and medical team you choose are an important personal choice, affecting you and your family.

At UC San Diego Health, we are dedicated to delivering the highest quality, safest care for every patient, every time. We encourage you to become an informed consumer.

Care Compare

Find information about the quality of our hospital care at Medicare's Care Compare. Through this online tool, you can compare hospitals, based on your individual health concern and make an informed decision about where to get your care.

Quality and Transparency

In partnership with the California Hospital Association, the Hospital Quality Institute produces quarterly Quality Transparency Dashboards that contain publically available patient safety data for hospitals. This quantitative information is compiled and shared to help improve patient care and innovation.

Read our most recent quality report

Reports on Our High Quality of Care

The following provide objective measures of the care we provide:

Excellence in Medication-Use Safety and Pharmacy

We were the first organization in the country to be recognized as a Center of Excellence in medication-use safety and pharmacy practice by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). This reflects our high-performing pharmacy department's commitment to superior patient care.

No. 1 Hospital in San Diego

UC San Diego Health US News and World Report Award

UC San Diego Health was ranked the No. 1 hospital system in the San Diego metro area for 2021-22 by U.S. News & World Report. We also ranked among the nation's best in 10 adult medical and surgical specialties, more than any hospital system in San Diego.

2021 Quality Leadership Award

UC San Diego Health was named a top performer, ranking 3rd nationally, in the 2021 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Annual Ranking by Vizient Inc. The recognition reflects the quality of our patient care in five areas: safety, mortality, effectiveness, efficiency and patient centeredness.

Five-Star CMS Rating

In April 2021, UC San Diego Health received a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the quality of our hospital care to Medicare Advantage patients. Only 13.5 percent of hospitals earned this highest rating.

Top Teaching Hospitals

UC San Diego Health's hospitals in La Jolla and Hillcrest were recognized as among the nation's Top Teaching Hospitals by The Leapfrog Group in 2021. This is the most competitive recognition for excellence in hospital safety and quality. It means we meet the highest standards of patient care in key areas such as medication safety, surgery outcomes and infection prevention.

A's for Hospital Safety

UC San Diego Health Hospital Safety Award

UC San Diego Health's hospitals in La Jolla and Hillcrest once again earned top marks for hospital safety from The Leapfrog Group in the spring of 2022. The Leapfrog Group is a nonprofit organization that advocates quality, safety and transparency in the nation’s health care system.

Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission

The Joint Commission signifies the highest level of quality care for our patients. Our Gold Seal Advanced Certification Programs include:

Read The Joint Commission's Quality Report