In the latest Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade ratings, both Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) and HCA Florida Capital Hospital received a ‘B’ grade. The Leapfrog ratings, which are released biannually in spring and fall, evaluate hospitals’ performance based on safety, quality, and efficiency of inpatient and outpatient care. According to the results of the Fall 2025 survey, this is the second consecutive ‘B’ grade for TMH, depicting an improvement in their performance after earning a series of C’s and D’s in previous assessments.
The Leapfrog ratings are based on 22 parameters, including infection prevention, error prevention, patient experience, staffing, and physician coverage, among others. The latest ‘B’ grade earned by TMH indicates the hospital’s significant strides toward improving patient safety practices, according to spokesperson Stephanie Derzypolski. Meanwhile, HCA received recognition for adhering to standard leadership practices in preventing errors and ensuring specially trained doctors care for adult critical care patients.
However, the survey also highlighted some areas of concern for both hospitals, with TMH making ‘limited achievement’ in reducing the rate of C-section deliveries, and HCA in combatting MRSA infections. The Leapfrog ratings system is not without its critics, with several Florida hospitals even pursuing a federal lawsuit alleging Leapfrog’s grades to be a ‘pay-to-play’ scheme. However, this claim has been categorically refuted by Leapfrog. In addition to the Leapfrog recognition, both HCA and TMH received accolades from Healthgrades, a leading healthcare provider assessment website. But, their scores in Medicare’s rating system were less impressive, with both hospitals earning only 2 out of 5 stars.