Salinas, California – December 6, 2016 – Natividad Medical Center (NMC) has been named a Top Hospital for the first time by The Leapfrog Group, one of the country’s leading organizations in measuring and publicly reporting hospital performance. Widely acknowledged as one of the most prestigious distinctions a hospital can receive in the U.S., the recognition showcases NMC’s commitment to patient safety and quality.

“The recognition from The Leapfrog Group is a testament to our continued focus on improving processes and care hospital-wide,” said NMC CEO Dr. Gary Gray. “It awards our efforts in providing high quality health care and minimizing injuries, accidents and infections.”

NMC was one of 115 Top Hospitals recognized out of more than 1,800 hospitals across the country. The selection of Top Hospitals is based on the results of the 2016 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Performance across many areas of hospital care is considered in establishing the qualifications for the award, including infection rates, maternity care, and a hospital’s ability to prevent medication errors. The rigorous standards are defined in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology.

“Being acknowledged as a Top Hospital is an incredible feat achieved by less than three percent of hospitals nationwide,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “With this honor, Natividad Medical Center has established its commitment to safer and higher quality care. Providing this level of care to patients in Monterey County requires motivation and drive from every team member. I congratulate the board, staff and clinicians, whose efforts made this honor possible.”

Andrea Rosenberg, assistant administrator for operations and support services, will accept the award on behalf of NMC at tonight’s Leapfrog Group Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Twice this year, NMC also received a safety grade of “A” in The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, which assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety (using data from CMS and other sources).

About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.

About Natividad Medical Center (NMC)
Owned and operated by Monterey County, NMC is a 172-bed, acute-care hospital providing health care services to county residents for more than 130 years. Based in Salinas, California, NMC offers inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic and specialty medical care. NMC provides more than 38,000 patient days of care each year and has more than 52,000 emergency department visits per year. NMC is a Level II Trauma Center providing the immediate availability of specialized personnel, equipment and services to treat the most severe and critical injuries. NMC’s Trauma Center is a vital community service locally that saves lives and eliminates the need to fly critically injured patients to a distant trauma center. NMC is ranked No. 1 in newborn deliveries in Monterey County and is the only teaching hospital on the Central Coast through its affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). With a medical staff of more than 300 physicians, NMC’s mission is to continually monitor and improve the health of the people, including the vulnerable, in Monterey County through coordinated, affordable high-quality health care. For more information, please call 831-755-4111 or visit www.natividad.com.