CalHospitalCompare.org

The prestigious Institute of Medicine estimates that preventable medical errors cause up to 98,000 deaths each year in hospitals nationwide. Hundreds of thousands more experience injury due to medication errors. How can you protect yourself from becoming one of these statistics?

Armed with the hospital ratings on this website, CalHospitalCompare.org, you can find out which hospitals provide the best care for your specific needs and which take the important steps to make your safety the highest priority.

When you actively participate in choosing a hospital, you can become not just a patient but also an informed health care consumer. And, by being an informed consumer, you can raise the odds that you will have a safe and successful hospital experience.

The information provided in this section can help you navigate among the many hospitals that you have to choose from.

• Why Quality Matters discusses health care quality in hospitals, why quality matters to you, and how you can help get the care you deserve.
   
• Choosing a Hospital gives you the information you need to narrow your choice, such as what the quality ratings mean, who will pay for your care, and a checklist to help you through the process.
   
• Your Hospital Stay provides helpful information on making your visit safe, knowing your rights, as well as which questions to ask while you are in the hospital and when you prepare to leave.