KECK MEDICINE OF USC
1. Top 10 Disparities
The following table lists the ten largest health equity disparities identified for this reporting period.
Disparities for each hospital equity measure are identified by comparing the rate ratios by stratification groups. Rate ratios are calculated differently for measures with preferred low rates and those with preferred high rates. Rate ratios are calculated after applying the California Health and Human Services Agency's "Data De-Identification Guidelines (DDG)," dated September 23, 2016.
The table below highlights the ten widest health equity disparities identified by hospitals and hospital systems during this reporting period. Measure names have been shortened for display purposes. To view each measure in full, please download the complete Hospital Equity Report using the link below.
| Measure | Stratification | Stratification Group | Stratification Group Rate | Reference Group | Reference Rate | Rate Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1.
AHRQ pneumonia mortality rate
|
Preferred Language | Asian/ Pacific Islander Languages | 150.0% | Middle Eastern Languages | 0.0% | 5.00 |
|
2.
AHRQ pneumonia mortality rate
|
Race and/or Ethnicity | Asian | 119.0% | Black or African American | 0.0% | 3.80 |
|
3.
CMQCC NTSV cesarean rate
|
Age (for maternal measures only) | 40 and older | 0.5% | 18 to 29 | 0.2% | 2.50 |
|
4.
AHRQ PSI surgical death rate
|
Disability Status | Cognition disability | 383.0% | Self-Care disability | 172.0% | 2.20 |
|
5.
AHRQ pneumonia mortality rate
|
Race and/or Ethnicity | Hispanic or Latino | 69.1% | Black or African American | 0.0% | 2.20 |
|
6.
AHRQ pneumonia mortality rate
|
Preferred Language | English Language | 59.7% | Middle Eastern Languages | 0.0% | 2.00 |
|
7.
AHRQ pneumonia mortality rate
|
Race and/or Ethnicity | White | 62.8% | Black or African American | 0.0% | 2.00 |
|
8.
CMQCC NTSV cesarean rate
|
Race and/or Ethnicity | White | 0.4% | Asian | 0.2% | 2.00 |
|
9.
AHRQ PSI surgical death rate
|
Expected Payor | Medicare | 247.7% | Medicaid | 137.3% | 1.80 |
|
10.
AHRQ PSI surgical death rate
|
Age (excluding maternal measures) | 65 and older | 238.7% | 50 to 64 | 154.4% | 1.50 |
2. Equity Plan
Keck Medicine of USC is the University of Southern California’s medical enterprise, one of only two university-based medical systems in the Los Angeles area. Keck Medicine combines academic excellence, world-class research and state-of-the-art facilities to provide highly specialized care for some of the most acute patients in the country.
Our internationally renowned physicians and scientists provide world-class patient care at Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, USC Arcadia Hospital and more than 100 unique clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Tulare and Ventura counties as well as Las Vegas.
Action Plan: Keck Medicine of USC (KMUSC)’s analysis of the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) Hospital Equity Report for calendar year (CY) 2024 highlights its commitment to equitable patient care, as the Top 10 Disparities report did not uncover substantial variations between patient populations at the system level. KMUSC will continue to use data-driven insights to identify areas where the health system can enhance patient care, improve outcomes, and reduce variances. The health system has a robust structure in place to share improvement efforts and best practices across the hospitals, to ensure collaboration and transparency.
Variances in readmissions, patient safety, and patient experience are tracked at the appropriate hospital and health system level 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 health system.
To address patient safety, readmission, and patient experience improvement opportunities, KMUSC is enhancing its multifaceted, system-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: Multidisciplinary Care Coordination, Screening for Social Drivers of Health (SDOH), Standardized Discharge Education, Post-Discharge Follow-Up As Needed, Patient Feedback Integration, Age Friendly Framework Adoption, Variance Monitoring
Collectively, these efforts are designed to reduce variances, improve clinical outcomes, and enhance the overall patient experience. By leveraging data-driven insights, patient feedback, and ongoing evaluation, KMUSC 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, every time, and where the health system can be confident that improvement initiatives are creating meaningful, measurable impact across all populations served.
Measuring Success: To ensure that improvement efforts achieve their intended outcomes without creating unintended consequences, KMUSC monitors a comprehensive set of health system success measures stratified by different patient demographics and characteristics. This enables the health system to identify and address key opportunities to reduce barriers to care, improve quality and safety practices, and strengthen care coordination - especially for patients with complex needs or social challenges that impact health outcomes. Health system 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 health system’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: Adverse Events and Safety Incidents, Average Length of Stay (LOS), Readmission Rates, Patient Experience Measures, SDOH Screening Rates, Targeted Service Line and Population Performance
By monitoring these measures alongside other outcome and process interventions, KMUSC is able to continuously refine care delivery, anticipate patient needs, and address barriers proactively. This approach ensures that improvement initiatives not only reduce variances in key measures but also enhance the overall patient experience, promote safety, and strengthen care coordination, reflecting the health system’s commitment to high quality, person-centered care.
3. Web Address for Equity Report
4. Download Equity Measures Report
Click on the link below to download the equity measures report.
Click on the link below to download all equity measures reports.