Facility Information

📋 Quick Reference

  • Hospital Type: Acute Care Hospitals
  • Ownership: Voluntary non-profit - Private
  • Address: 2900 Chanticleer Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95065
  • County: Santa Cruz County
  • Phone: (831) 477-2200
  • Emergency Services: No
  • Birth-Friendly Designation: Yes — meets CMS criteria

Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center Of Santa Cruz receives a SafeHospitals USA Safety Score of 5.0/10 (Grade D — Below Average). The 2024 CMS data indicates this facility falls below the national average in several areas. While this hospital may still be appropriate for certain care types, patients with planned procedures should consider the data carefully and ask their physician about alternatives.

How Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center Of Santa Cruz Compares Nationally

Using the 2024 CMS Hospital Compare dataset — the federal government's official source for hospital quality — we analyzed performance across five quality measures. Here is what the data shows for this facility:

0 Better / 0 Worse
Mortality Measures
0 Better / 0 Worse
Safety Measures
0 Better / 0 Worse
Readmission Rates

Patient Experience & Survey Data

Patient experience surveys (HCAHPS) ask discharged patients about their hospital stay — communication with nurses and doctors, responsiveness of staff, cleanliness, and overall rating. CMS collected 152 completed surveys from Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center Of Santa Cruz patients for the 2024 reporting period.

Survey Rating: ★★★★☆ Patient Experience (4.0/5)

Timely Care Score: 48.2 (national average: ~80.0)

This facility's timely care score falls below the national benchmark. Patients should be aware that wait times may exceed averages for non-emergency situations.

Infection Control Performance

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are among the most preventable patient safety risks. CMS tracks six HAI measures including central line infections, catheter-related urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, and C. difficile rates. This facility has 0 HAI measures performing better than the national benchmark.

This facility does not currently outperform HAI benchmarks in the 2024 CMS dataset. This is a important concern for patients scheduled for surgery, catheter procedures, or extended ICU stays. Ask your care team about infection prevention protocols.

Maternity & Birthing Care

✓ Designated as "Birth-Friendly" by Medicare (CMS).

This hospital is designated as Birth-Friendly by CMS, meaning it is committed to high standards of maternal safety and care.

Medicare Billing Cost & Spending

Medicare spends an average of $22,798 per patient episode here, compared to the national average cost of $27,477.

✓ This hospital spends 17.0% less than the national average, making it cost-efficient for Medicare services.

Outpatient Surgery Patient Experience

Based on surveys collected from patients who had outpatient surgery or procedures here, this section shows the percentages of patients who reported highly positive experiences:

  • Facility Cleanliness & Respect: 99% of patients reported the facility was clean and the staff were helpful and respectful.
  • Procedure Communication: 93% of patients felt the staff explained their surgical procedure clearly.
  • Discharge Preparation: 97% of patients received clear instructions on how to handle recovery at home.
  • High Patient Rating: 92% of patients gave the outpatient department a rating of 9 or 10 out of 10.
  • Willingness to Recommend: 93% of patients would definitely recommend this outpatient department to others.

FAQs

Q. What is the safety grade of SUTTER MATERNITY & SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ?
SUTTER MATERNITY & SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ has a SafeHospitals USA safety grade of D with a safety score of 5.0/10, based on federal CMS quality data. This grade is calculated from hospital safety indicators, infection control performance, and mortality measures.
Q. Is SUTTER MATERNITY & SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ designated as Birth-Friendly?
Yes, SUTTER MATERNITY & SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ is designated as Birth-Friendly by CMS (Medicare). This means they participate in quality programs focused on improving maternal health outcomes and birthing safety.
Q. How expensive is care at SUTTER MATERNITY & SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ compared to the national average?
Medicare spends an average of $22,798 per patient episode at SUTTER MATERNITY & SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ, compared to the national average of $27,477. This means the hospital's billing cost is 17.0% less than the national average.
Q. What do patient surveys say about outpatient surgery at SUTTER MATERNITY & SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ?
Based on official patient experience surveys, 93% of outpatient surgical patients would definitely recommend SUTTER MATERNITY & SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ to others. Additionally, 99% reported that the outpatient department was clean and the staff were helpful and respectful.
Q. Does SUTTER MATERNITY & SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ offer emergency services?
No, SUTTER MATERNITY & SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ does not offer emergency services.

About Our Scoring Methodology

Our SafeHospitals USA Safety Score is calculated from the official CMS Hospital Compare dataset using a weighted composite of: hospital-acquired infection rates (HAI, 30% weight), patient safety indicator measures (25%), mortality measure outcomes (20%), 30-day readmission rates (15%), and patient experience survey scores (10%). Scores range from 0–10 and are normalized against the national distribution of all Medicare-certified facilities.

Scores are recalculated annually when CMS releases updated Hospital Compare data. The current scores reflect the 2024 CMS data release, last verified by our data team on March 15, 2026.