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Leapfrog's Spring 2025 Hospital Safety Grades Released

The Leapfrog Group, an esteemed nonprofit organization dedicated to patient safety, has recently announced its Spring 2025 Hospital Safety Grades. This biannual rating system evaluates general hospitals across the United States, assigning them grades from A through F based on their effectiveness in minimizing medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections—issues that impact one in four hospitalized patients, leading to up to 250,000 deaths annually.

For the very first time, Leapfrog has spotlighted a select group of 346 hospitals across the country that not only secured an “A” grade for Spring 2025 but have also maintained this accolade for five consecutive grading rounds. This remarkable achievement designates them as “Straight A” hospitals, which accounts for 12% of all eligible facilities. Details about these hospitals can be found at HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

Leah Binder, the president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, remarked, "While receiving an 'A' is commendable, hospitals must not become complacent. The pursuit of patient safety is a continuous journey that must always prioritize the well-being of patients." This commitment is evidenced by the hospitals that have managed to sustain high safety standards over numerous grading periods.

Within the distinguished group of Straight A hospitals, there are 11 elite facilities that have consistently earned ‘A’ grades for all 27 grading rounds, spanning 13 years. The all-time Straight A hospitals include:

• - Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital (Illinois)
• - French Hospital Medical Center (California)
• - Inova Loudoun Hospital (Virginia)
• - Kaiser Permanente Orange County-Anaheim Medical Center (California)
• - Mayo Clinic-Phoenix (Arizona)
• - Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital (Illinois)
• - Saint Anne's Hospital (Massachusetts)
• - Sentara CarePlex Hospital (Virginia)
• - Sentara Leigh Hospital (Virginia)
• - University of Chicago Medical Center (Illinois)
• - Virginia Mason Medical Center (Washington).

State Rankings and Trends

This year, Leapfrog expanded its analysis to include state-by-state data exhibiting the percentage of hospitals achieving Straight A's for two or more years. Notable trends revealed that Utah and Connecticut lead the way, each with 29% of their hospitals achieving the coveted A grade, followed closely by New Jersey at 27%, Rhode Island at 22%, and Virginia at 20%. Conversely, states without any Straight A hospitals include Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Washington, D.C.

Leapfrog's Spring 2025 rankings highlighted states with the highest proportions of A grades overall, including:

• - Utah
• - Rhode Island
• - New Jersey
• - Connecticut
• - South Carolina
• - Virginia

Utah has notably maintained its position at the top for the fourth consecutive grading round, demonstrating strength in both the percentage of A hospitals and Straight A hospitals.

The report also marked a significant improvement for Washington, D.C., which ranked 11th for the percentage of A hospitals, a notable ascent after previous rankings placed it at the bottom.

The Importance of Continued Vigilance in Patient Safety

While the data reveals promising trends, Leah Binder emphasizes that considerable variations in safety practices persist across U.S. hospitals. She states, “It is critical for consumers to consult the Safety Grades whenever considering their healthcare options, as not all hospitals will provide the same level of care and safety.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade remains the only program that exclusively assesses hospitals on preventing medical errors and patient harm. This grading is conducted biannually in both the spring and fall, serving as a valuable resource for patients looking to make informed choices about their care.

To review your hospital's Safety Grade or for more information, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org. For ongoing updates from The Leapfrog Group, connect with them on social media platforms or subscribe to their newsletter.