A Safe Environment

South Coast Medical Center (SCMC) values a safe environment for both patients and employees. As a result, SCMC conforms to the safety education standards outlined by the Joint Commission. Employees are trained in procedures for reporting safety or quality of care concerns. Any employee who reports a safety problem will not receive disciplinary or retaliatory action.

SCMC honors the requirements of the Joint Commission in addition to following the standards of the Occurrence Reporting and Share Card notification system.

"We take the standards for patient safety and quality very seriously," says Bruce Christian, SCMC’s President and CEO. "By following our safety guidelines, it helps us to continue providing the highest quality of patient care."

Joint Commission

South Coast Medical Center has consistently earned accreditation status with the Joint Commission, which conducts surveys every three years. Achieving accreditation means that an organization complies with Joint Commission standards and continuously makes efforts to improve the care and services it provides.

NQF and Leapfrog’s Safe Practices

Modern healthcare contains highly complex and high-risk processes. South Coast Medical Center has completed the Leapfrog Group survey of 30 patient safety practices endorsed by the National Quality Forum (NQF). These practices are capable of reducing preventable medical mistakes. South Medical Center already performs most of these practices and is actively implementing additional safety practices based on the recommendations of the NQF.

Patient Care and Safety Concerns

If you have any concerns about quality or safety of patient care, please contact our Director of Quality and Risk Services, Alison Hendricks, R.N., M.N., M.B.A., C.C.M., C.P.H.Q., at (949) 499-7201. If the concerns in question cannot be resolved at this level, please provide the information directly to the Joint Commission at 1-800-994-6610.