Lynne Spalding, from Haswell in County Durham, was found yards from her bed at San Francisco General Hospital last October, 17 days after going missing.
Health inspectors have now carried out an investigation into patient safety, privacy and security at the hospital.
A spokesman said Ms Spalding's family was in the "forefront" of their minds as they worked to improve standards.
Ms Spalding, 57, who moved to San Francisco several years ago and worked in the city's tourism and hospitality industry, was being treated for a bladder infection at the hospital.
Following her disappearance on 21 September, the hospital was searched and police opened a missing person investigation. But Sheriff Department deputies failed to look in all the stairwells.
It later emerged the department had 30% fewer staff than usual.
This prompted an investigation in November by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which monitors health and safety standards at hospitals in the US.
The hospital has now implemented a number of improvements, including new patient tracking systems, daily security checks of emergency stairwells and improvements in the treatment of at-risk patients.
'Bang to rights'
A statement from the hospital said: "We have made significant progress toward a safer and more secure hospital.
"Many of the changes outlined in the Plan of Correction already have been implemented and we can assure Ms Spalding's family, and all our patients, visitors and staff, that we are a safer organisation today.
"Her [Lynne Spalding's] family is in the forefront of our minds as we continue to work to improve safety and security for all our patients."
Comment: That's no consolation to her family: you still haven't told them what happened to her!
The federal investigators returned last week to re-survey the hospital and its staff and concluded that San Francisco General was now "in compliance with all requirements".
Ms Spalding's twin brother Bill, from Easington Lane, near Sunderland, said: "My sister died a grim and callous death in a place she imagined would offer heartfelt concern and painstaking care.
"They've leaked and misled throughout this and a damning report has them bang to rights."
I've had a similar experience and I wasn't a patient! If she was found in a stair well, what's the bet it was a fire escape and not normally used?
I was leaving work one night (after 23.00), so I went out the fire escape, stupidly expecting to be able to exit the building. Those doors, or at least, 3 out of 4 of them were oneway, you could get out, but you couldn't get back in. Luckily for me I found one door that opened back into the building (only to be told by a staff member that this wasn't supposed to happen!) I had exited the 3rd floor, gone right down to ground and could only get back into the building via 4th floor.
Firstly, Lynne Spalding would not be considered an at "risk patient" because she is too young and most likely doesn't have a mental deficiency. Secondly, every shift, nurses should check their patients, 'size them up' or assess them by meeting them and introducing themselves. Thirdly what was she doing in the stairwell? Was she a smoker? And if she disappeared, did she leave her belongings behind? Fourthly, why is the Sherrifs Department be expected to search hospital areas that they know nothing about? A hospital should have it's own security staff who know the building and should be the first to 'go looking'...
My guess is that it was a combination of things that led to this tragedy.
Management are idiots and often psychopaths who will always find somebody else to blame (such as said Sherrifs Department who probably shouldn't be expected to search in an area they knew nothing about) for their own ineptitude.
This is because they don't listen, and they don't care.