Quality awards

CMS 4-5 Star Ratings

MLKCH has repeatedly received four and five star ratings from The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  Fewer than 14% of 4,500 participating hospitals received a five-star rating in 2023-24, and just 10 out of  75 Los Angeles County hospitals achieved this score. The rating system measures quality across five areas: mortality, safety  of care, readmission, patient experience and timely and effective care. MLKCH performed above California and national averages in numerous categories, including average time patients spent in the ED before leaving  from the visit.

Leapfrog "Grade A"

MLKCH has received multiple “Grade As” from The Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety rating organization.  Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grade is a bi-annual evaluation of approximately 3,000 hospitals nationwide on how well they protect their patients from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.  MLKCH received the organization’s highest rating, achieved by only 30% of these hospitals.

Gold Seal of Approval

MLKCH has received The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval™ for Hospital Accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal of Approval® is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.  

Providing safe and effective patient care

MLKCH's state-of-the-art Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center received “Center of Excellence” designation from Restorix Health, the only such facility in California to achieve this recognition. The designation is the highest awarded by Restorix, a leading wound care management company with more than 280 wound care centers nationwide.

Diabetes Center of Excellence

MLKCH is one of fewer than 100 hospitals in the nation to receive The Joint Commissions advanced certification for diabetes, an accreditation that shows that our hospital delivers the highest standard of diabetes care to its patients. The certification mirrors a similar federal recognition of superb diabetes care at our outpatient care centers.  Together, both accreditations signal that – at every level – MLKCH is a “Diabetes Center of Excellence.”  

Population Health Program Accreditation

MLKCH recently received the prestigious Population Health Program Accreditation from The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Not only is it unusual for a small hospital like ours to get this accreditation, but we also received a near perfect score. 

Maternity Honor Roll

MLKCH has been on Cal Hospital Compare’s “Maternity Honor Roll” for seven years running. Our excellent outcomes for mothers and babies of color include C-section rates that are half the California and national average. Our midwife-led maternity model has won nationwide praise for its sensitive and culturally aligned approach.

Prestigious Baby-Friendly Designation

MLKCH has achieved the highly prestigious international Baby-Friendly designation after a rigorous review process conducted by Baby-Friendly USA, the organization responsible for bestowing this certification in the United States. Out of 3,084 birth centers and hospitals that offer maternity services in the United States, only 590 have achieved Baby-Friendly status.  These facilities provide an environment that supports breastfeeding while respecting every woman’s right to make the best decision for herself and her family. Read more here.

Most Wired

MLKCH is one of only 6.4% of hospitals in the nation that has achieved HIMSS‐7 – the highest level of electronic medical record keeping. Our high‐tech system allows healthcare providers to quickly see a patient’s medical records, prescriptions and lab results. This enables doctors, nurses, specialists and others to respond faster to a patient’s needs. For this reason, we have once again been voted Healthcare’s “Most Wired.”

"High Performer" from the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy

The MLK Community Health Foundation, which raises money for the hospital, is a “top performer” among community hospitals, according to the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy. The award represents hospitals that reached the top 25% in net fundraising returns out of all participating community hospitals, raising more than $3.1 million in the U.S. and more than $8.5 million in Canada. The recognition is an indication of the strong support MLKCH has in Los Angeles, and nationwide.

RestorixHealth’s Patient Satisfaction Award and Clinical Distinction Award

MLKCH’s Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Center is a dual recipient of RestorixHealth’s Patient Satisfaction Award for achieving a 96% or higher national patient satisfaction score and RestorixHealth’s Clinical Distinction Award for achieving patient safety goals and an exceptional 90% wound healing rate. RestorixHealth, a leading wound care management company, launched its recognition program to recognize centers that have demonstrated success and meet national quality benchmarks through aggressive and comprehensive traditional and advanced therapies and techniques proven to reduce wound healing time and improve healing rates.

MLKCH named CDC U.S. Tuberculosis Elimination Champion

In a county with some of the highest tuberculosis (TB) cases in the nation, a small South Los Angeles health system serving the most vulnerable has received national recognition as a “champion” of quality TB care.

MLK Community Healthcare is one of only eight health organizations in the country recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) as a 2022 CDC U.S. TB Elimination Champion. Read the press release here.