Patient Care

Three of our sites — UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center, ZSFG, and UCSF Fresno’s CRMC — are Joint Commission-certified stroke centers. Stroke center certification is awarded by the American Heart Association in collaboration with the American Stroke Association and The Joint Commission. Certification recognizes hospitals that meet strict standards for stroke care.

Comprehensive Stroke Center Certification

Both UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center and CRMC are Comprehensive Stroke Centers (CSCs) — the highest level of stroke care certification. This designation is awarded to hospitals that meet a strict set of standards verifying their ability to receive and treat all types of strokes, including the most complex cases (i.e., bleeding or hemorrhagic strokes, as well as ischemic strokes).  

CSCs offer 24/7 access to a team of on-site neurosurgical experts, minimally invasive catheter procedures to treat stroke, and other specialized services. UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center was the first hospital in San Francisco to receive this designation.

Primary Stroke Center Certification

ZSFG is certified as a Primary Stroke Center (PSC). PSC certification is awarded to health care facilities offering care that meets the unique and specialized needs of people who experience a stroke. To qualify for PSC certification, the health care organization must meet standards supporting better patient outcomes for stroke. In instances when more advanced interventional care is required, PSCs refer these patients to CSCs.

UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights and UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay received the 2024 Top Hospital award from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog organization that sets standards for health care safety and quality. The Mission Bay campus includes UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco and the UCSF Bayfront Medical Building. The latter is home to UCSF Bayfront Urgent Care, which is staffed by attending physicians from the Department of Emergency Medicine.

The 2024 Top Hospital award recognizes exceptional patient safety and quality of care. Notably, this is the second consecutive year that the Parnassus location has received this honor. Nearly 2,400 hospitals were considered for the award in four categories: pediatric, general, rural and teaching. Fewer than 5% of hospitals were ultimately selected for this “Top Hospital” recognition. To qualify for the distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance against the highest standards for quality and patient safety, and achieve top performance in their category.

The Parnassus Heights and Mission Bay hospitals also earned an “A” safety grade from Leapfrog as part of its annual hospital Safety Grades, which assess hospitals twice a year based on more than 30 national performance measures. This rating — the highest grade awarded by the safety group — is a national recognition of excellence for patient safety. Notably, Safety Grades is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on a hospital’s prevention of medical error and harm to patients.

UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center has received an “A” grade for five rating cycles in a row, earning both hospitals Leapfrog’s elite Straight “A” designation. UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay has received an “A” grade for eight rating cycles in a row.

The UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are committed to providing the safest and highest quality pediatric emergency medical care. Our campuses in San Francisco and Oakland are staffed by a robust team of physicians board-certified in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. They work closely with other pediatric health care professionals at UCSF, like our child life specialists, to minimize the stress of treatment on both children and their families. Together, we practice compassionate, evidence-based care that leverages the latest techniques and best practices in the field.  

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals are a part of UCSF Health and have been recognized among the nation’s best pediatric medical centers in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals rankings.  

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco

Our Mission Bay campus is the recipient of The Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission — a nationally recognized distinction voluntarily earned by a health care organization. The Gold Seal of Approval reflects the provider’s adherence to a rigorous set of safety- and quality-related performance standards. 

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco and its clinics have also earned Magnet designation. The Magnet Recognition Program, developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and based on research conducted by the American Academy of Nursing, distinguishes health care organizations for the caliber of their nursing care. Magnet status is the highest level of honor awarded by the ANCC and is nationally considered the “gold standard” for nursing excellence.

Our commitment to patient safety is reflected in our “A” rating from The Leapfrog Group. This rating — the highest grade awarded by the safety group — is a national recognition of excellence for patient safety. Notably, it is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on a hospital’s prevention of medical error and harm to patients. UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay, home to UCSF Benioff San Francisco, has received an “A” grade for eight rating cycles in a row. 

UCSF Benioff Children’s Oakland

The Leapfrog Group has also recognized our Oakland campus as a Top Children’s Hospital. Hospitals that receive the “Top Hospital” designation meet rigorous standards for safety and quality. The competitive award is based on the results of the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey, a voluntary survey of nearly 2,000 hospitals nationwide that assesses hospitals’ performance on national standards of patient safety, quality, efficiency, and management structures that prevent errors.