WASHINGTON, DC – The Leapfrog Group today released its fall 2025 Hospital Safety Grade. The biannual Safety Grade is an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” assigned to all general hospitals in the United States based on their ability to protect patients from medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections. These largely preventable problems harm one in four hospital inpatients and cause as many as 250,000 deaths each year.
Systems Analysis of "A" Hospitals
“The Leapfrog Group was founded 25 years ago to improve American health care through transparency, and the Safety Grade has been a cornerstone of that effort,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “As we mark this milestone year, for the first time we’re looking at how consolidation impacts patient safety. We want to understand if system leadership accelerates patient safety or not.”
The Leapfrog analysis found that 90% of hospitals with a fall 2025 Safety Grade are part of a health system. Among A hospitals, the chance of being system affiliated is slightly higher, at 94%. (“Health System” is defined as a network of health care facilities that are owned or managed under a single parent organization). This also holds true for “Straight A” hospitals—hospitals earning an A grade for more than two years in a row—with 95% of the 358 Straight A hospitals part of health systems.
All 11 hospitals that have earned an A for every grading round since 2012 are affiliated with health systems. The 10 health systems with the highest total number of A hospitals and Straight A hospitals are:
*Defense Health Agency is N/A for the Straight A recognition because they haven’t been eligible for a Safety Grade for five rounds or more. In 2026, military hospitals will be eligible to earn a Straight A.
State Rankings
- The top five states for percentage of A hospitals are Utah, Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut and North Carolina.
- Utah ranks #1 for the fifth consecutive Safety Grade round.
- Iowa, North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming have no A hospitals.
See full state rankings for fall 2025 at hospitalsafetygrade.org.
About the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only ratings program focused exclusively on accidents, errors, injuries and infections that harm or kill patients in hospitals. It is updated twice a year in the fall and spring, offering the public a reliable, independent assessment of hospital safety. The Grades are determined by public, peer-reviewed methodology, calculated by top patient safety experts under the guidance of a National Expert Panel. The grading system is fully transparent and always freely available to the public at hospitalsafetygrade.org. The Safety Grade is published by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization celebrating 25 years of driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. For more from Leapfrog, follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram and sign up for our newsletter.
Press interested in interviews about the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade can email leapfrogpr@curastrategies.com.
Leapfrog is requesting public comments on proposed updates to two Safety Grade policies through December 14. View the planned policy changes and submit a public comment here.
Leapfrog also just finalized its planned updated to the 2026 and 2027 Safety Grade methodology, incorporating insights from the recent public comment period. View the final updates and response to public comments here.