Leapfrog, a non-profit organization committed to promoting safety in U.S. hospitals, recently released its fall safety grades. The organization meticulously investigates two primary categories when scoring — a hospital’s error prevention measures, and the frequency of errors such as post-surgical infections. Alexandra Campione, from Leapfrog’s safety grading program explains, ‘Our grades focus intensely on patient safety — how well are hospitals operating to circumvent medication errors, infections and grave patient safety incidents following surgery?’ The grading panel is composed of patient safety experts from across the nation. Hospitals are awarded grades from A to F, based on their safety measures and practices.
Some hospitals however, did not fare well in this examination. St. Joseph Hospital could only manage an F, while Candler Hospital’s score was only marginally better with a D. On the other hand, Beaufort Memorial shone, achieving the highest grade among all hospitals with a B. CEO Russell Baxley voiced his satisfaction but also acknowledged the continuous effort required for improvement. He asserted, ‘We are elated to witness our progress. Nonetheless, the endeavor is not yet over because every hospital aspires to be an A-rated institution.’
Another hospital, Savannah’s Memorial Hospital received an average C grade. The hospital administration expressed appreciation for the grading process, citing the critical role of measuring quality and safety in patient care.
Essentially, the safety grades released by Leapfrog aspire not only to invigorate hospitals to improve, but also to instate accountability for transparency about patient safety. This explicit sharing of scores, therefore, serves a dual purpose — it induces a call to action for hospitals to enhance patient safety measures, and bolsters transparency in sharing the real picture of safety parameters within hospitals.
Source: https://www.wtoc.com/2025/11/21/local-hospitals-respond-after-new-safety-survey-shows-mixed-grades/