Central Pa. hospitals earn top marks for patient safety

Central Pennsylvania‘s Penn State Health and WellSpan hospitals earned top marks for patient safety in Leapfrog’s latest report.

An independent and national nonprofit focused on health care transparency and safety, The Leapfrog Group evaluates nearly 3,000 general acute-care hospitals twice a year. Leapfrog assigns “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grades to general hospitals across the U.S. twice a year based on over 30 publicly available measures that assess how effectively hospitals prevent medical errors, injuries, infections, and other harm to patients.

The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and the resulting harm to patients.

WellSpan achieved four “A” safety grades for fall 2025 from The Leapfrog Group, as WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital, WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital, WellSpan Waynesboro Hospital, and WellSpan York Hospital received the top rating.

“Our patients choose WellSpan because they know safety and quality are at the core of everything we do,” Dr. Michael Seim, senior vice president and chief quality officer at WellSpan Health, said in a statement. “These values guide our care teams every day and are central to our mission of being a trusted partner in health. Earning top grades from Leapfrog is a reflection of that commitment for our patients and community.”

Penn State Health placed all five of its hospitals among the safest in the nation, according to the Hospital Safety Grades from the Leapfrog Group.

“Our commitment to safety is embedded in every aspect of care we provide,” said Dr. Michael Kupferman, chief executive officer of Penn State Health. “These grades reflect the dedication of our entire team to creating a secure, healing environment for every patient, every day.”

Penn State Health Hampden, Lancaster and Milton S. Hershey medical centers each earned an ‘A’ grade, the highest possible rating, for a second straight reporting period. Receiving “B” grades were Penn State Health Holy Spirit and St. Joseph medical centers.

“Achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade reflects enormous dedication to patient safety,” said Leah Binder, president and chief executive officer of the Leapfrog Group. “I extend my congratulations to Penn State Health, its leadership, clinicians, staff and volunteers for creating a culture where patients come first.”

Penn State Health is an integrated academic health system serving patients and communities across 15 counties in Central Pennsylvania. It employs more than 20,300 people systemwide and includes 2,417 physicians and direct care providers at 186 outpatient practices.