Southwestern Medical Center Earns ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group

Southwestern Medical Center received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit group that sets standards for excellence in patient safety and care. This is the hospital’s third consecutive “A” grade and seventh in the past 10 Leapfrog rating periods. Southwestern is one of only 13 hospitals in the state of Oklahoma to earn an “A” grade during Leapfrog’s Spring 2025 assessments, which were announced on May 1.

Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to hospitals across the country based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. Fewer than one-third of the approximately 3,000 hospitals reviewed nationwide earn Leapfrog’s “A” grade.

“Leapfrog is one of the nation’s top patient advocacy groups and earning its coveted ‘A’ grade should give added confidence in the exceptional quality and safety of the care we provide,” said Libby Ferguson, Interim CEO of Southwestern Medical Center. “Earning the top grade, again, also demonstrates the hard work, dedication, and commitment to safety by our employees. Our team strives to provide the most positive patient outcomes and experiences in a safe environment, and our consistency in earning Leapfrog’s top rating continues to validate our efforts.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections, and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day in the United States. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. 

“Achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade reflects enormous dedication to patient safety,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “I extend my congratulations to Southwestern Medical Center, its leadership, clinicians, staff, and volunteers for creating a culture where patients come first.”

The Leapfrog recognition follows several recent accolades bestowed upon Southwestern over the past year. In November, the hospital earned Leapfrog’s A grade for its Fall 2024 ratings. In May, Southwestern was included in Becker’s Hospital Review’s 2024 listing of 100 Great Community Hospitals. In March, the hospital was recognized by Healthgrades as a recipient of its 2024 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™, an honor earned by only 15% of approximately 4,500 hospitals across the country. And last October, Southwestern was included in Newsweek’s listing of “America’s Best-In-State Hospitals 2024.”

To see the safety grades of Southwestern Medical Center and other local hospitals, click here.