Cal Hospital Compare Names PVHMC among the 2026 Hospitals Leading Substance Use Disorder Care Honor Roll

California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) Secretary Kim Johnson, along with Cal Hospital Compare, recognized Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center among 91 hospitals across California for their high performance in caring for patients with substance use disorder (SUD).

Across the hospital, PVHMC’s SUD program follows evidence-based practices and protocols in prescribing opioids for acute pain to reduce opioid-related adverse events as well as long-term dependency for patients. Education is also a vital part of the program – patients are educated about alternative pain management options, the common side effects from opioid use, the risk for dependency and more.

In the emergency department, the program provides awareness, prevention, resources and support for all substance use and all ages. The program utilizes medication-assisted treatment when applicable and provides stimulant prevention awareness and educational resources on alcohol, opioids, and other substance use prevention.

“We’re proud to be recognized for our integrated, compassionate approach to substance use disorder care,” said Richard E. Yochum, FACHE, President/CEO, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. “By expanding access to substance use prevention tools, inpatient treatment and safe pain management options, our patients are at a reduced risk of complications and dependency.”

Free Narcan® (naloxone) Nasal Spray is a crucial part of PVHMC’s emergency response as Narcan® can quickly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, saving lives in critical situations.

To aid in community-based overdose prevention, PVHMC has a self-serve distribution box at the entrance of its emergency department to provide free naloxone and fentanyl test strip kits available 24/7 with no questions asked. PVHMC also offers community outreach programs, family support, educational programs and referral services.

In California:

• 85 hospitals met performance standards in SUD care
• 40 hospitals have achieved the highest levels of performance for 2 consecutive years
• 39 hospitals have significantly improved the level of SUD care provided from last year

“Cal Hospital Compare is proud to contribute to the statewide effort to reduce SUD related deaths by providing hospitals with a mechanism to evaluate their performance, learn from peers, and identify opportunities for improvement,” said Dr. Bruce Spurlock, Executive Director of Cal Hospital Compare. “The annual Honor Roll program recognizes the important work happening across California hospitals while encouraging organizations at every stage of their improvement journey to continue strengthening their approach to SUD care.”

In 2026, 118 California hospitals voluntarily participated in the Healthcare Organizations Leading SUD Care Honor Roll, evaluating and sharing their progress in implementing evidence-based practices to address SUD. Through a rigorous self-assessment process, hospitals examined their performance across multiple domains of care, including safe and effective opioid use, identifying and treating patients with SUD, harm reduction strategies, reducing stigma, and engaging patients and families in care decisions.

Of the participating hospitals, 91 earned recognitions on the 2026 Honor Roll in one or more of the following categories: Superior Performance, Excellent Progress, Sustained Improvement, and Most Improved. These categories recognize hospitals demonstrating strong performance, meaningful progress, or continued improvement in advancing SUD care.

The 2026 Healthcare Organizations Leading SUD Care Honor Roll highlights hospitals’ commitment to advancing compassionate, evidence-based SUD care; key highlights across participating hospitals include:

• 80% of participating hospitals reported having processes in place to support birthing people and newborns affected by substance use.

• 82% actively connect patients to ongoing community care, including scheduling follow-up appointments for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and making follow-up phone calls.

• 87% provide harm reduction services and supplies, such as overdose reversal education, navigation, naloxone and fentanyl test strips, safer-use resources, and opioid disposal information.

• 62% collect social drivers of health information to better understand community needs, identify gaps, and develop strategies to support vulnerable populations.

To learn more about PVHMC’s substance use disorder services, click here.