Alameda Health System is recognized for BETA HEART® excellence

Alameda Health System (AHS) has been recognized by BETA Healthcare Group for excellence in creating a culture of safety, transparency and continuous learning across its health care facilities.

For the past five years, AHS has participated in the BETA HEART program, an initiative designed to support patient safety, transparency and improvement. The program leads to better patient outcomes by promoting early response to adverse events, supporting empathic communication, and strengthening system-level safety practices.

The BETA HEART program features five domains, and AHS achieved validation in all of them. AHS, the public safety-net provider for Alameda County, was the only public health system to reach this milestone. The five domains include:

• Culture of safety, just and fair culture
  This domain builds a just culture where safety is prioritized and staff feel empowered to speak up. System vulnerabilities are exposed early, team trust improves, and errors are proactively prevented.
• Rapid event response and analysis
  This domain ensures timely detection and root-cause analysis of harm or near misses. It reduces harm recurrence and strengthens learning systems.
• Communication and transparency
  This domain promotes open, empathic disclosure to patients and their families after adverse events. In doing so, staff rebuild trust, improve satisfaction, and support healing.
• Care for the caregiver peer support program
  This domain provides emotional and professional support to staff who are impacted by harm events. It enhances caregiver well-being, reduces burnout, and improves care quality.
• Early resolution after a patient harm event
  When preventable harm does occur, this domain offers a fair and timely resolution process. The result is a reduction in litigation risks, strengthened accountability, and more organizational trust.

These domains are all evidence-based, and are nationally recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, The Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and regulatory agencies.

In addition to BETA HEART validation, AHS has also been recognized for excellence in OB Quest and ED Quest, which are evidence-based programs aimed at reducing preventable harm specifically in obstetrics and emergency departments.

Through its successful adoption of the BETA HEART framework, OB Quest, and ED Quest, AHS stands as a leading example in California for health care safety and quality.

"These validations are more than certifications. They are a testament to the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of our entire care team," said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Lisa Laurent. "This recognition reflects our deep-rooted culture of safety, transparency, health equity and continuous learning, tenets that will continue to guide our work long into the future."

This honor comes in the wake of sweeping cuts to Medicaid that were signed into law as part of H.R.1, also known as The Big Bill. Experts project that AHS will lose $100 million annually in federal funding by 2030 due to The Big Bill. Approximately 80% of AHS funding comes from Medicaid and state health care reimbursements, known in California as Medi-Cal. These dollars not only support essential health care services like trauma, emergency, hospital and primary care, but also investments in initiatives that improve patient safety and continuous learning across the health system, such as the BETA HEART program.

Community members who value public investment in safety-net health care systems are encouraged to ask their congressional leaders to take action to mitigate the impacts of The Big Bill.

About Alameda Health System
Alameda Health System (AHS) is a leading safety-net, integrated health care provider and medical training institution recognized for its world-class patient and family-centered care. AHS provides comprehensive medical treatment, health promotion and disease prevention throughout our integrated network of hospitals, clinics and health services. AHS includes three acute care hospitals, an affiliate acute care hospital, a psychiatric hospital, four ambulatory care wellness centers, five post-acute facilities, and the only adult Level 1 Trauma Center and psychiatric emergency department in Alameda County. AHS is committed to promoting wellness and optimizing the health of the community through the mission of caring, healing, teaching, and serving all. For more information, visit AlamedaHealthSystem.org.

CONTACT: Eleanor Ajala Manager, Media and Communications Alameda Health System (510) 421-9222 [email protected]