Prime Healthcare Hospitals Nationwide Earn Healthgrades 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award™

Hospitals ranked among the top 5% and top 10% in the nation for patient safety

ONTARIO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prime Healthcare hospitals once again ranked among the safest in the nation, according to Healthgrades, a leading national hospital quality and safety ratings organization. Sixteen Prime healthcare hospitals received the 2026 Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award™.

Prime Healthcare had more hospitals receive the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award™ in California over the past two years (2025–2026) than any other health system. Two hospitals, La Palma Intercommunity Hospital and Sherman Oaks Hospital, each earned the distinction for the 13th consecutive year, from 2014 through 2026.

“The data behind this year’s Healthgrades 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, these award-winning hospitals are achieving better clinical outcomes and cultivating cultures where patients come first.”

Overall, 10 of the 16 Prime Healthcare hospitals receiving the recognition ranked among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety, with six ranking among the top 10%. Additionally, Prime Healthcare hospitals received more than 150 recognitions for clinical excellence in the 2026 Healthgrades ratings, including distinctions such as America’s 100 Best by Specialty™, Specialty Excellence Awards™, and Five-Star Awards™.

“Patient safety is the foundation of clinical excellence and the promise we make to every patient who entrusts us with their care,” said Sunny Bhatia, MD, President and Chief Medical Officer, Prime Healthcare. “As a physician-led health system, safety is not just a measure of performance, it reflects who we are as an organization. These recognitions reflect a culture where safety is not a goal, but a standard that guides every decision, every day.”

Eight hospitals recognized for the safety award are part of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.

"The fact that our hospitals have earned this honor every year since 2014 reflects a culture grounded in mission, accountability and deep care for the communities we serve," said Dr. Kavitha Bhatia, President and Chair of the Prime Healthcare Foundation. “The breadth of these recognitions across our hospitals is inspiring, and we are deeply grateful to our physicians, nurses, and care teams whose commitment to safety and quality makes a difference in the lives of patients every day.”

Prime Healthcare hospitals earned the awards based on what matters most: patient outcomes. To determine the nation’s leaders in patient safety, Healthgrades evaluated risk-adjusted complication and mortality rates from approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide across multiple patient safety indicators, with each representing a serious but potentially preventable complication.

Healthgrades’ annual analysis found measurable differences in outcome data between higher- and lower-graded hospitals, highlighting why patients and caregivers should consider patient safety ratings when choosing care. From 2022–2024, 173,280 preventable safety events occurred among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals, with four patient safety indicators accounting for nearly 76% of those incidents.

Patients treated at hospitals receiving the 2026 Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award™ had a significantly lower chance of experiencing these leading safety indicators than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals:

• 54% less likely to experience falls resulting in fracture than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• Approximately 55% less likely to experience a collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• Approximately 69% less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired during care than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.
• 72% less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired during care than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.

The following Prime Healthcare hospitals received recognition in the Healthgrades 2026 ratings:

Desert Valley Hospital, Victorville, CA; East Liverpool City Hospital, East Liverpool, OH; Huntington Beach Hospital, Huntington Beach, CA; La Palma Intercommunity Hospital, La Palma, CA; Mercy Medical Center, Aurora, IL; Mission Regional Medical Center, Mission, TX; Roxborough Memorial Hospital, Philadelphia, PA; Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Reno, NV; Shasta Regional Medical Center, Redding, CA; Sherman Oaks Hospital, Sherman Oaks, CA; Saint Francis Hospital, Evanston, IL; St. Francis Medical Center, Lynwood, CA; St. Joseph Medical Center, Kansas City, MO; St. Mary’s Hospital, Kankakee, IL; St. Mary’s Medical Center, Blue Springs, MO; St. Mary’s General Hospital, Passaic, NJ.

About Prime Healthcare and Prime Healthcare Foundation: Prime Healthcare is an award-winning health system operating 54 hospitals and more than 360 outpatient locations in 15 states, providing over 3 million patient visits annually. It is one of the nation’s leading health systems, with more than 60,000 staff and affiliated physicians. Twenty-one of the Prime Healthcare hospitals are members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. Based in Ontario, California, Prime Healthcare is nationally recognized for award-winning quality care and has been named a 10 Top and 15 Top Health System by Truven Health Analytics. Its hospitals have been named among the nation’s “100 Top Hospitals” 72 times and is one of Healthgrades' most awarded health systems in the nation for patient safety. To learn more, please visit primehealthcare.com.

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