Leapfrog reports improvements nationally in healthcare-associated infections, medication safety and patient experience
CHICAGO – May 6, 2026 – The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog, today released its spring 2026 Hospital Safety Grade, an A, B, C, D or F assigned to most general hospitals in the United States based on their ability to protect patients from medical errors, accidents, injuries and infections. Driven in Illinois by the Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH)), the Safety Grades are updated twice per year and give the community critical insight about local hospitals.
In Illinois, 81 hospitals were graded and 31 earned an A, 24 a B, 22 a C, 3 a D, and one an F. The Leapfrog Group also ranks states based on percentage of A hospitals, and Illinois moved down four spots to 21st nationally from the previous grading period.
As the Illinois Regional Leader MBGH encourages hospitals statewide to participate in Leapfrog’s online patient safety survey.
National data from the spring 2026 Safety Grade shows significant improvement in 17 measures of errors and infections. This includes healthcare-associated infections, barcode medication administration, computerized physician order entry and five patient experience measures.
“Preventable medical errors remain far too common in hospitals across the country, including in our own community,” said Cheryl Larson, MBGH president and CEO. “This latest round of the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade shows encouraging progress in patient safety nationwide. The employers in our coalition believe transparency is essential, and by working together, we can continue to reduce preventable harm and make care safer for everyone.”
Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, added, “The progress we’re seeing nationally and among hospitals in Illinois is encouraging and deserves recognition, but there is still more work ahead to keep improving patient safety. We applaud the hospitals that are making patient safety and transparency a clear priority, an effort that requires deep commitment from clinicians, leaders, board and staff at every level of the organization.”
Why Some Hospitals Are Reported as “Grade Not Assigned”
For spring 2026, due to a ruling by a federal court in South Florida, Leapfrog is not assigning Safety Grades to 450 hospitals that did not participate in the 2024 or 2025 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. These hospitals are reported as Grade Not Assigned (GNA). Although the court ruling only applied to five hospitals, Leapfrog does not apply programmatic changes to individual hospitals because the Hospital Safety Grade is a national program. Leapfrog is pursuing an appeal and reviewing the Safety Grade methodology with its National Expert Panel to ensure the Hospital Safety Grade continues to be useful for consumers. Any proposed methodology changes will be announced and made available for public comment.
About The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is an independent national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. Among its initiatives, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade was launched in 2012 and assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. It is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. It is fully transparent and free to the public, and grades are updated biannually in the fall and in the spring. To look up your hospital’s Safety Grade, please visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org .
About the Midwest Business Group on Health
Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit supporting employers seeking solutions to better manage the high cost of health care and the health and productivity of their covered populations. Founded in 1980, MBGH offers members leading educational programs, employer-directed research projects, purchasing opportunities, and community-based activities that increase the value of health care services and the health benefits they offer to members. MBGH serves over 180 companies that provide benefits to over 5 million lives, with employer members spending more than $15 billion on health care each year. For additional details visit MBGH.org and follow us on LinkedIn.