USC KENNETH NORRIS JR. CANCER HOSPITAL

1. Top 10 Disparities

2. Equity Plan

The USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital (NCH) is a nationally recognized, academic, National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center, dedicated to advancing the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of cancer. NCH serves as a hub for cutting-edge translational research and interprofessional clinical care, bringing laboratory discoveries directly to patients through innovative clinical trials and precision medicine. Its designation as one of the nation’s elite NCI comprehensive cancer centers reflects excellence in scientific leadership, depth of research, and integration of education and community outreach - all with a shared mission to reduce the burden of cancer and improve outcomes for patients locally and globally. The hospital is certified by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and has been recognized by The Leapfrog Group as a top-performing hospital in patient safety and quality for three consecutive years. NCH delivers highly personalized care for a wide range of cancer types, including breast cancer, brain and central nervous system tumors, gastrointestinal cancers, gynecologic cancers, head and neck cancers, hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, lung cancer, melanoma, sarcoma, skin cancer, and urologic cancers. The hospital also offers advanced bone marrow transplantation (BMT), chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, and state-of-the-art radiation oncology services. Dedicated to transparency, NCH publicly reports its quality and outcome data to empower patients and families to make informed decisions about their care and to uphold its enduring commitment to safety, quality, and trust.
Action Plan: NCH’s analysis of the HCAI Hospital Equity Report for calendar year 2024 highlights its commitment to equitable patient care, as the equity report did not uncover substantial variations between patient populations. NCH will continue to use data-driven insights to identify areas where the hospital can enhance patient care, improve outcomes, and reduce variances.
Variances in patient experience are tracked to understand opportunities to ensure the highest quality of care and patient experience for all patients. Insights from these data guide targeted interventions, continuous quality improvement, and accountability across the hospital.
NCH is enhancing its multifaceted, hospital-wide approach to patient care and experience. These processes are designed to support patients, strengthen care coordination, and ensure that all interventions are aligned with organizational priorities: high quality person-centered care, patient safety, effective treatment, access to care, and attention to social drivers of health.
Key processes include: Screening for Social Drivers of Health (SDOH), Standardized Discharge Education, Post-Discharge Follow-Up As Needed, Multidisciplinary Care Coordination, Patient Feedback Integration, Age Friendly Framework Adoption, Variance Monitoring
By leveraging data-driven insights, patient feedback, and ongoing evaluation, NCH measures progress, identifies emerging opportunities, and continuously refines interventions. The result is a healthcare environment where every patient receives high-quality, safe, and personalized care, and where the organization can be confident that improvement initiatives are creating meaningful and measurable impact across all populations.
Measuring Success: NCH monitors a comprehensive set of success measures stratified by different patient demographics and characteristics. Key opportunities are identified to reduce barriers to care, improve quality and safety practices, and strengthen care coordination. Hospital leadership and quality committees review stratified data regularly, and patient and family insights are incorporated to guide refinements. This structured oversight ensures that interventions are effective, sustainable, and aligned with the hospital’s goals of reducing disparities, improving outcomes, and delivering exceptional care experiences. Progress on implementing and tracking improvement plans is evaluated at 30-, 60-, and 90-day intervals, and will be measured throughout calendar year 2026.
Key measures include: Patient Experience Measures, SDOH Screening Rates, Targeted Service Line and Population Performance, Adverse Events and Safety Incidents
By monitoring these measures alongside other outcome and process interventions, NCH is able to continuously refine care delivery, anticipate patient needs, and address barriers proactively. This approach ensures that improvement initiatives not only reduce variances but also enhance the overall patient experience, promote safety, and strengthen care coordination.

3. Structural Measures

4. Web Address for Equity Report

https://www.keckmedicine.org/health-equity

5. Download Equity Measures Report

Click on the link below to download the equity measures report.

6. Looking for Related Reports?

• Hospital Supplier Diversity Plan
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• Hospital Profile