Thank you to Paul Payne of the The Press Democrat, for his report today on the ratings of seven Sonoma County Hospitals, by the non-profit Niagara Health Quality Coalition. The report cards were based on California Department of Health records for 2007, and covered 36 different procedures and conditions, as well as hospital errors and mortality rates.
A one-star rating indicates worse than average outcomes, two stars for average, and three stars were given for better than average. There was no overall grade.
Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa was the only hospital in Sonoma County to receive three one-star below average ratings, for acute stroke mortality, birth trauma for infants, and post-operative hip fractures.
Cue KP’s PRBS response:
“To get the full picture of Kaiser Permanente’s superior quality, it’s important to review and balance both inpatient and outpatient ratings, and health plan services,” spokesman Carl Campbell said in a statement.
Right, because as long as they don’t harm every patient every day, then quality is “superior.” Superior to what, we ask? Of the seven hospitals rated, KP Santa Rosa had the highest number of below average ratings. Way to spin it, spokesliars, but somehow we doubt that statement will be a big comfort to pregnant mothers due to give birth at the Santa Rosa facility in the near future.
The complete Niagara Health Quality Coalition report card is available on the myHealthFinder.com website.
Yes, “superior” to what?
Unfortunately, the facts speak for themselves and Kaiser’s victims can attest to the “superior” quality that they provide.
Why else would this website be needed.
If only they cared about being a real health care provider instead of always being worried about how they look. Where would they be without PRBS? Probably non-existent.
I think the general public has become largely immune to the PR bunk. Not just from Kaiser, but from all of these big corporations. They all sound like they use the same canned bullshit generator for their public statements.
If I remember correctly, for all the hype attached to the Thrive campaign, KP’s membership numbers haven’t changed all that much since the campaign began. If the service provided is truly superior, why would they have to spend tens of millions of dollars just to maintain the status quo?
Perhaps the Kaiser PRBS machine needs to call Matt Holt, a supposedly independent blogger, and give him a few more dollars to run another made up piece regarding amazing innovations in care or provide some other distraction (hey look… dragon boats with KP logos!).
Matthew Holt was one of the bloggers that helped us publicize this site when the Thrive campaign launched in 2004. He wasn’t exactly supportive, but at the time I believed he was independent, just misinformed.
I finally stopped reading his blog after the kidney transplant scandal, when he did nothing but make excuses for Kaiser’s despicable handling of the whole mess. It’s one thing to be misinformed, and quite another to actively participate in misinforming others. Everybody has to make a living, but there are more honorable ways of doing so in my opinion.
I always find it amusing that none of the policy wonks who praise Kaiser’s model have ever been a Kaiser patient, including Holt. KP is only good enough for ‘other people’ who can’t afford — and apparently don’t deserve — quality health care.
I have had Kaiser for nearly 40 years and I found it to be far superior to Blue Cross/Sheild. As a State employee, CALPERS did a survey of the many plans available for the purpose of winnowing out the inferior offerings. First to go were Aetna and CIGNA. kaiser had the highest rating among HMO’s and only a 3% yearly turnover rate–the lowest of those in the survey. This survey based on several hundred thousand responses. Now we only have 5 offerings to choose from but those are the best, according to the survey resonses. I am sticking with Kaiser.
Just a couple of observations, Allan…
If you’ve had Kaiser for 40 years, how exactly did you find it to be “far superior” to BC/BS? Maybe I’m wrong, but that kind of comparison usually implies one has actually tried the alternate service, and less than 40 years ago.
Since we’re talking about health outcomes at hospitals here, it’s not even a valid comparison, because BC/BS is strictly an insurer, whereas Kaiser is a health plan and health care provider. So if what you meant was that Kaiser health care is “far superior” to a plan that you’ve never tried (or tried four decades ago), and that doesn’t even provide health care, well, I don’t guess there’s any point in arguing with that kind of logic. 🙄
Wow, it’s really unusual for an average Kaiser member without an agenda to come in here spouting percentages and survey results. Since you found us through a Google search for “how much do Kaiser doctors make,” I have to admit that it leaves me questioning your motives for posting this. But don’t let that stop you!
During the early part of my Kaiser years i dropped out to try B/Sheild and B/Cross just to satisfy my own curiosity. About 18 mos later during the next open enrollment I went back to Kaiser. Blue Shield seemed more interested in denying claims for whatever trivial reason then paying them. I ended up in small claims court over a $91 lab test–the part they wouldn’t pay. Prior to that court action there had been several other claims they would not pay or pay in part on the basis of what they thought the proper fee ought to be that resulted in letters to CALPERS (hlth administrator. The court proceedings were a circus. Tthe B/Shield rep told the judge the policy provided for arbitration. I explained to the judge that for $91, it seemed absurd to split a arbitrators fee of $500/day over a $91 claim and the judge had the authority to decide if small claims was the proper jurisdiction. The judge decided in my favor and the Blue sheild man walked out in extreme anger. I won the case but it took another 6 mos and more legal nastiness to get reimbursed. Kiser trumpeted the stats I quoted during the next enrollment period. kaiser had improved their operations and staffing levels and I am glad I returned. I am now retired and am now part of Kaiser Senior Advantage (medicare) and it is working out just fine. The key point we forget is Kaiser is a cooperative endeavor and the patient must do his/her part in following Dr’s orders to maintain good health. Other state employees who took BS/BC had specialized health needs and problems and were willing to pay more.
You won’t see us defending BC/BS or any other insurance company here. They’re all killing people for profits, but your last sentence explains why Kaiser’s turnover of State employees is low — the expense. In my state BC/BS is $300-$500/mo. more expensive, which most working class families simply can’t afford if the employer doesn’t pick up the difference. Kaiser’s membership pretty much stays the same regardless of how many millions of premium dollars it wastes on image campaigns. If it is truly a superior product, and cheaper to boot, people should be flocking to KP in droves.
What Kaiser does to people in malpractice situations is much worse than what BC/BS put you through over a $91 claim. Kaiser members are not only required to arbitrate coverage disputes; malpractice victims are also subject to mandatory binding arbitration. The arbitrators are paid by Kaiser and know they won’t be hired again if they rule for the patient. One of KP’s favorite arbitrators is a disgraced ex-judge by the name of Benjamin Diaz, who was forced to resign his judgeship years ago over convictions for drunk driving and soliciting a prostitute. This guy couldn’t get hired at McDonalds, yet this paragon of virtue is paid handsomely for deciding wrongdoing of the HMO that signs his paychecks. Funny how he never finds against Kaiser regardless of the evidence or circumstances.
I’ll tell you what I tell everyone who discounts the hundreds of horror stories on this site because it hasn’t happened to them yet: I hope you never find out the hard way exactly how rotten Kaiser can be when something goes wrong. And I do mean that sincerely.
Allan, The disgraced former ex-judge named Benjamin Diaz was the arbitraitor in my case against Kaiser after they killed my baby Daughter. Of course kaiser won the rigged mandatory binding arbitration, we didn’t expect otherwise. What they did manage to prove is that they intentionally let my Baby die to save themselves possibly millions in lifetime care. Yes, they did in fact prove that they are capable of murder. I have the facts to back this up. This is the kind of treatment the public is up against at kaiser.
I’m still interested to hear why Allan wants to know how much Kaiser doctors make.
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My wife and I are both on the KP senior advantage plan here in Georgia and are totally impressed with the care.
My wife recently suffered with renal failure. We were able to get into a doctor immediately, was sent by ambulance to Intensive care, spent total of 4 weeks in hospital and rehab.
We had a KP coordinator throughout the stay who would keep us informed and who we could call. We had printouts within 2 to 3 days showing charges so we could verify. I like their computerized system and being able to access medical results online. Like everything else, health care can vary from state to state etc. All I can say is that we are happy and impressed with the care KP gave my wife.
Kaiser employee,,,numerous situations of my own personal incidents with kaiser that were either gross negligence or totally misdiagnosed, and very poorly handled, not to mention the adjusting of the records,,,,it is just not right,,,all the lawyers say Kaiser too hard to sue..so I guess that means…just go along for the ride…Mr. Obama doesn’t have a clue about what is going on at Kaiser and if he is going to use it as a model….wow,,,we are going to be so much worse…
I’ve been there. Kaiser in Santa Rosa treats you like sh*t.
I have had Kaiser coverage for three years and have never experiened quality care at the Santa Rosa site. All the doctors are incompentent. All the chronic medical conditions I have was diagnosed before I entered Kaiser. You think people are happy with Kaiser, just sit in the waiting room and listen to their horror stories. I pray for a better health system.
I had survived a brain aneurysm and kaiser did a great job in the surgery, but ‘refused to get involved’ in my disability case even after my impaired motor functions caused me to impale my left hand on a screw driver and left me permanently disabled. Now I have lost nearly everything and it is too late for disability. Even finding an attorney is nearly impossible as it seems no specialists really care more about humanity than the dollar. Thank someone that I have friends that are my family as even my relatives didn’t learn that brain trauma leaves one changed for life, and not just bitter…
I have Kaiser Colorado Insurance. Thank God there are no Kaiser Hospitals in my area. My doctors and surgents are not a employee of Kaiser. When, your doctors paycheck has the same name on it as your insurance company, you have conflict of intrest. Kaiser insurance just turns down my claims and I have to get go through the state board of insurance to get the claims paid.
Santa Rosa KP has some of the most inept morons working there as doctors, and some of the most ignorant hick nurses running the show.
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