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The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog for health care quality and safety transparency, has released new safety grades for hospitals, according to a MyMichigan Health press release on Thursday. MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena achieved a “B” for fall 2025, along with MyMichigan Medical Center Midland.

The press release states that Leapfrog assesses performance across 22 individual safety measures and calculates an overall safety score determined by a scale which they use to assign a grade. The group evaluates hospitals every spring and fall using a comprehensive survey to assess that hospitals are meeting rigorous safety standards. Patient experience and safety outcomes data supplied by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are also used. For the 2025 fall grade, performance predominantly from calendar years 2022 to 2024 was assessed. The average national grade is a “C.”

Lydia Watson, president and CEO of MyMichigan Health, commented on the health system’s commitment to providing safe, high-quality care in the release.

“In addition to reducing infections and complications, MyMichigan Health Medical Centers continue to score high across the many measures Leapfrog uses to assess quality of care,” Watson said in the release. “Whether it’s nurse staffing, safe medication ordering and administration, or our patient safety policies and structures, we’re meeting Leapfrog’s high standards. We’re especially proud of the improvements being made by our Medical Center in Sault Ste. Marie and in all our Medical Centers over recent years. In fact, of the 17 hospitals in Michigan that earned “A” grades, three were MyMichigan Health.”

The fall 2025 grades for other MyMichigan Health Medical Centers are as follows:

– MyMichigan Medical Centers in Alma and West Branch earned their fourth consecutive “A” grade.

— MyMichigan Medical Center Saginaw earned an “A” score.

— MyMichigan Medical Center Sault maintained a “C,” which, according to the release, was its highest overall safety score determined by scale in recent years.

— No grades were calculated for the Medical Centers in Clare and Tawas where measure volumes did not meet scoring eligibility, or for critical access hospitals like the Medical Centers in Gladwin and Standish.

According to the release, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade system was developed under the guidance of a national expert panel and is peer-reviewed and free to the public. The biannual Hospital Safety Grade results are based on more than 30 national performance measures and are updated each fall and spring. Those interested in viewing the full grades may visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.