Haywood Regional Medical Center earns third consecutive Leapfrog ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade

Haywood Regional Medical Center has received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, marking the hospital’s third consecutive top grade from the independent national organization focused on patient safety.

The spring 2026 grade follows “A” grades in fall 2025 and spring 2025, reflecting continued performance across multiple grading periods and a sustained commitment to the systems, practices, and teamwork that help protect patients from preventable harm.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade assigns letter grades to hospitals across the country based on evidence-based measures of patient safety, including errors, accidents, injuries, and infections. Grades are updated twice annually in the fall and spring.

“Receiving a third consecutive ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group is a meaningful reflection of the consistency, discipline and care our teams bring to their work every day,” said Sue Shugart, FACHE, CPPS, CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center. “This recognition belongs to our physicians, nurses, staff, board members, and volunteers, whose commitment to safe, high-quality care is evident in the way they serve our patients and community.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only national hospital ratings program focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, infections, and injuries. The program uses more than 30 national performance measures and is calculated by patient safety experts under the guidance of a national expert panel. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and available to the public at no cost.

For Haywood Regional Medical Center, the third consecutive “A” represents continued focus in areas that directly affect the patient experience and outcomes, including infection prevention, medication safety, communication, surgical safety, and the hospital’s overall culture of safety.