Are UC’s Medical Centers Really the “Best”?

U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of California Medical Centers among the “Best Hospitals” in 2007. But what does U.S. News take into account when they define “best”?

U.S. News DOES NOT take into account the conditions facing patient care staff:

UC workers believe that below-market wages, a high stress environment and increasing benefit costs cause UC to lose experienced workers and create the need to rely on temporary staff in certain departments. 

We believe that all these factors can adversely affect the quality of patient care, including the possibility that they may, along with other factors, contribute to elevated complication rates. 

U.S. News DOES NOT take into account complication rates:
An analysis of 2005 data¹ that UC submitted to the State indicates that for some lines of service that are associated with specialty areas where U.S. News found UC to be “among the best,” complication rates² were higher than expected and/or higher than at peer institutions.³

It is time for UC’s Medical Centers to stand up and really be the BEST — for workers and for our patients!

Footnotes: 1 -Based on an analysis of 2005 Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development (OSHPD) Inpatient Discharge Data Set commissioned by the union. UC attests under penalty of perjury that the data they submit to OSHPD is accurate and complete.  Data has been risk-adjusted.  2 - Rates calculated as actual / expected.  3 - To account for variations of patient mix, a peer group was defined that included 16 private medical centers and 10 county medical centers that also operate academic programs on their campuses.  A list of the peer group can be found at www.ucpatientcarewatch.org/peergroup.