How safe is your hospital? This SLO County facility got a ‘D’ for patient care
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- Adventist Health Twin Cities received a D for unsafe medication and hygiene practices.
- French Hospital earned its 27th straight A grade for consistent patient safety success.
- Leapfrog rated hospitals using up to 31 measures across five key safety categories.
Two San Luis Obispo County hospitals received lackluster patient health and safety ratings, according to The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit organization that evaluates patient safety and care.
These grades are based on several critical factors, including rates of preventable errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.
In its spring 2025 report, the organization graded health care facilities around the nation on a scale from A to F, with A representing the highest level of safety and F the lowest.
Out of five hospitals on the Central Coast, one received a D grade in the report.
Here’s which local health care facilities scored the lowest marks:
Which SLO County hospitals received poor safety grades?
Two San Luis Obispo County medical centers received mediocre or poor grades from The Leapfrog Group.
Adventist Health Sierra Vista, 1010 Murray Ave. in San Luis Obispo, earned a C grade for having worse-than-average practices to prevent medical errors.
It was cited for having inadequate hand washing techniques and poor communication about medicines and medication administration practices.
The hospital declined to report information about doctors, nurses and hospital staff to The Leapfrog Group, resulting in a lower overall grade.
Adventist Health Twin Cities, 1100 Las Tablas Road in Templeton, received a D grade after scoring poorly for its practices to prevent medical errors.
The hospital earned a score of 15 out of 100 due to its deficient system for ordering patient medications, unsafe hand washing practices and improper methods to administer medication.
The health care facility declined to report information on hospital leadership and how it responds to patient infections.
Both hospitals are owned and operated by Adventist Health, which is headquartered in Roseville.
Adventist Health acquired Sierra Vista and Twin Cities from Tenet Health in March 2024. Shannon Downing, a spokesperson for Adventist Health, told The Tribune in an email that the low grade was attributed to the previous owner not submitting data to Leapfrog.
“Adventist Health has prioritized full participation in the Leapfrog reporting process,” Downing said. “We submitted comprehensive safety data this spring, and we anticipate our updated grades will better reflect our strong safety practices and the high level of care our teams provide every day.”
What are the safest hospitals on the Central Coast?
Three health care facilities on the Central Coast were awarded A grades by The Leapfrog Group.
French Hospital Medical Center, 1911 Johnson Ave. in San Luis Obispo, was rated the safest hospital in San Luis Obispo County.
It earned high scores for handling problems arising during surgery, having effective practices to prevent medical errors and employing responsive, effective and communicative hospital staff.
The SLO-based medical center was one of 346 places Leapfrog spotlighted as “straight A” hospitals for maintaining a top grade nationwide for five or more grading rounds, and one of 11 “elite” hospitals to have earned A’s for every year the group has been giving out grades, Leapfrog said in a news release.
It was French Hospital’s 27th consecutive time earning an A grade, dating back to 2012, according to a hospital news release.
“This reflects our commitment to patient safety and healthcare excellence, driven by the dedication and expertise of our team,” Sue Andersen, president and CEO of French Hospital, said in the release. “We are incredibly proud.”
Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, 345 South Halcyon Road in Arroyo Grande, also received the highest grade possible for patient safety and care practices.
The community hospital in southern San Luis Obispo County received better-than-average hospital scores for handling safety problems, such as blood clots, collapsed lungs and patient injuries.
It also achieved high marks for preventing medical errors through effective staff teamwork, extensive hand washing and safe medication administration practices.
Marian Regional Medical Center, 1400 East Church St. in Santa Maria, earned an A grade for spring 2025 as well.
The hospital in northern Santa Barbara County secured top marks from The Leapfrog Group for providing excellent nursing and bedside care and employing specially-trained doctors to treat patients in the Intensive Care Unit.
It scored better than average in terms of preventing infections and having effective practices and leadership in place to prevent medical errors, according to The Leapfrog Group.
All three hospitals are owned and operated by Dignity Health Central Coast.
How did The Leapfrog Group grade health care facilities?
The Leapfrog Group grades health care facilities on a scale from A to F based on their “overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors.”
According to the group, these grades are calculated using up to 31 national performance measures sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, The Leapfrog Hospital Survey and other data sources.
Under the guidance of a panel of patient safety experts, The Leapfrog Group selected about two dozen evidence-based measures, grouped into five key categories, to determine its scoring methodology.
Those categories are:
- Infections
- Problems with surgery
- Safety problems
- Practices to prevent errors
- Doctors, nurses and hospital staff
This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
