The Society of Thoracic Surgeons awarded the Oakland Medical Center Thoracic Surgery Department a distinguished better-than-expected rating for both high-quality lung and esophageal cancer surgery treatment over the last 3 years.
It is the top rating and is given to only a fraction of participating programs. Previously, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons used a star rating system, with 3 stars representing the highest distinction. The rating system has now shifted to a better-than-expected designation to recognize this top rating.
Historically, about 6% of participants have achieved a better-than-expected rating for esophageal cancer surgery, according to the society. For lung cancer surgery, this figure is approximately 10%.
Oakland has achieved either the highest rating for lung cancer or the highest rating for esophageal cancer, but this is the first time the medical center earned the highest rating in both categories.
“The award places us among the top programs in the United States and Canada,” said Rita Ng, MD, physician-in-chief at Oakland Medical Center. “This rating is an extraordinary achievement, representing the highest level of performance based on nationally benchmarked outcomes. It reflects our Thoracic Surgery Department’s exceptional success in reducing complications and improving survival rates for patients with lung and esophageal cancers.”
Ram Kumar Subramanyan, MD, PhD, chair of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Council on Quality and Research, thanks participants such as Kaiser Permanente for participating in its database and demonstrating their commitment to improving health care delivery, according to a statement on the ratings.
“Voluntary public reporting of outcomes by individual participants provides patients and their families with meaningful information to help them make informed decisions about health care,” he added.
Thoracic surgeons operate on organs inside the chest, including the esophagus and lungs. While the majority of thoracic surgeries treat cancer, they also can treat benign conditions, ranging from lung infections to complex chest trauma.
A recent patient of Kaiser Permanente Oakland’s Thoracic Surgery Program is 40-year-old Kelly McYoung, of Concord, California. She had lung cancer surgery in April 2025.
“The level of care and attention I received was out of this world,” said McYoung, who is still undergoing immunotherapy while parenting 2 young children. “I am deeply grateful for the exceptional surgical care I received from the whole team. Every detail reflected skill, compassion, and genuine dedication.”
Patient Patti Pickett, 71, who was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer and had surgery at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland this past July, had a similarly positive experience.
“From the empathic staff at the admitting desk to the way my nurse, anesthesiologist, and operating room team worked side by side, I felt safe and calm,” said the Tiburon, California resident. “I was in the hospital having surgery on a Monday morning, and back to driving my car by Wednesday.”
Kaiser Permanente Oakland’s rating was determined by patient outcomes, quality improvement, and patient safety data.
Jeffrey Velotta, MD, a thoracic surgeon at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, led the development of the hospital’s database on lung and esophageal cancer programs, which the Society of Thoracic Surgeons then used to calculate ratings.
“We are extremely proud of our top-notch thoracic surgery team in Oakland,” Dr. Velotta said. “We’ve expanded access to world-class surgical care across our region and are leading the way in innovative treatments for lung and esophageal cancer. We’re honored to set the standard for excellence.”
