Washington Health Achieves Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award

Washington Health among the top 10% of U.S. hospitals for safe, high-quality care

FREMONT, CA – March 10, 2026 – Washington Health (WH) announced today that it has achieved the 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ from Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans use to find a doctor or hospital. This award reflects Washington Health’s commitment to safe, patient-centered care and puts the organization in the top 10% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety.

Alongside this national recognition for patient safety, WH was recently named one of only eight hospitals in California, and the only one in the Bay Area¹, to receive both the Outpatient Joint Replacement and Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Awards, placing it among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for the third consecutive year (2024–2026) for those services. WH also earned recognition as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Joint Replacement, one of only six hospitals in California to receive this honor.

Also, WH received five-star ratings for heart failure treatment, hip fracture treatment, back surgery, and outpatient total knee replacement surgery. These achievements further affirm Washington Health’s status as a premier destination for specialty care and underscore the organization’s longstanding commitment to excellent patient care.

“Patient safety is at the core of everything we do. Our physicians, nurses, and care teams are committed to delivering the highest standards of safe, compassionate care to our community. We are proud of our continued investments in quality improvement, clinical collaboration, and patient-centered processes that ensure our patients remain safe and well cared for,” says Kimberly Hartz, chief executive officer of Washington Health.

Washington Health’s achievement is based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. To determine the national leaders in patient safety, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted complication and mortality rates from approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide across 13 patient safety indicators (PSIs), with each PSI representing a serious, preventable complication.

Healthgrades’ annual analysis revealed significant performance gaps between the nation’s highest and lowest-achieving facilities, making it increasingly important for consumers to seek care at a hospital with top safety ratings. During the 2022-2024 study period, 167,228 preventable safety events occurred among Medicare patients at U.S. hospitals, with four PSIs accounting for nearly 78% of all incidents. Patients treated at Washington Health and other award-winning facilities had a profoundly lower risk of experiencing these leading complications:

• In-hospital fall resulting in fracture (52.4% less likely).
• Collapsed lung due to a procedure in or around the chest (57.5% less likely).
• Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital (67.8% less likely).
• Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital (71.9% less likely).

"The data behind this year’s Patient Safety Excellence Award highlights how measurable improvements in safety can prevent thousands of complications,” said Dr. Alana Biggers, MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades. “By prioritizing evidence-based safety practices, Washington Health is achieving better clinical outcomes and cultivating a culture where patients come first.”

Where you’re treated matters, which is why Healthgrades is committed to providing the most scientifically accurate information about doctors and hospitals – with data insights not available anywhere else. For additional guidance on finding safe, high-quality care in 2026, visit healthgrades.com.

¹The Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Sonoma and Solano Counties in California.

*Statistics are calculated from Healthgrades’ Patient Safety Excellence Award Methodology, which is based primarily on AHRQ technical specifications (Version 2025.0.1) to MedPAR data from approximately 4,500 hospitals for years 2022 through 2024 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.

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About Washington Health

Washington Health is an independent, community-based health system governed by the publicly elected Washington Township Health Care District Board. Opened in 1958, Washington Health has grown to include a 415-bed, acute care hospital that includes the Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion that also houses emergency services and a level II trauma center; the Bell Neuroscience Institute of Silicon Valley; the Institute for Joint Restoration and Research; Peninsula Surgery Center; Washington Outpatient Surgery Center; Washington Outpatient Rehabilitation Center; Washington Health Medical Group; Washington Health Urgent Care, and Washington West that houses the UCSF-Washington Cancer Center, Washington Women’s Center, Outpatient Imaging Center, and additional outpatient hospital services and administrative facilities. Through the Washington Health Foundation, generous donor and community support helps advance innovation, expand access to care, and strengthen vital programs. The health system continues to receive top-tier awards and distinctions for many programs and services, while advancing the level of medical care and treatment in Southern Alameda County. Discover more at washingtonhealth.com, and through Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Healthgrades

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering meaningful connections between patients, doctors, and hospitals. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.

For over 20 years, our health system, group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have helped our partners reach and engage consumers on their way to the doctor.

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