FALLS CHURCH, Va. –
The Defense Health Agency announced 18 military hospitals received an "A" rating in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade assessment for fall 2025. These high grades reflect DHA’s commitment to transparency and continuous improvement in providing high-quality care to its patients.
“These ratings underscore the strength of our integrated Military Health System and the unwavering commitment of our teams to safe, high-quality care,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. Jeannine Ryder, DHA’s acting assistant director for Health Care Administration. “When our hospitals perform at this level, it reinforces trust — trust from our patients, our families, and the service members who rely on us to sustain readiness at home and abroad. This achievement reflects disciplined processes and a continuous focus on improvement across every military treatment facility.”
The Leapfrog Group is a national, independent organization focused on health care quality. The organization evaluates hospitals on a wide range of safety measures, including errors, injuries, and infections. Leapfrog's grading system uses up to 22 evidence-based measures of patient safety.
A hospital must meet specific criteria to be eligible for participation in the Leapfrog safety assessment. In the Fall 2025 ratings, 32% of participating hospitals nationwide received the highest grade. Of the eligible military hospitals participating in the grading assessment, 90% received an "A" grade.
“I am incredibly proud that a record number of our military hospitals have received an A grade this fall,” said Dr. Paul Cordts, DHA’s deputy assistant director for Medical Affairs and chief medical officer. “Participation in Leapfrog’s Hospital Safety Grade program provides a welcome opportunity to evaluate and improve health care across DHA’s global system of military hospitals and clinics.”
DHA’s engagement with Leapfrog began about eight years ago when it sought to incorporate Leapfrog's evaluations into the Military Health System's Quality Assurance Program. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center was the first military test site for Leapfrog surveys. After seeing positive results, DHA expanded the program across other eligible military hospitals. 2025 marks the first time certain military hospitals overseas qualified to receive an official safety grade.
“We hope these latest Hospital Safety Grades inspire our patients’ confidence in the quality and safety of care they receive,” said Cordts. “This distinction belongs to teams of professionals at these military hospitals, who are dedicated to meeting the highest safety standards in the United States.”
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade program, updated twice a year, evaluates public and private hospitals. Its grades are based on national standards for hospital safety and highlight risks that patients may face in a health care setting, including preventable medical errors and infections. The ratings are available to the public, making it easier for patients to understand the safety standards of their local health care facilities.
The 18 military hospitals that received an “A” grade for Fall 2025 are:
- Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
- Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky
- Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas
- Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Texas
- David Grant USAF Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base, California
- Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia
- Evans Army Community Hospital, Fort Carson, Colorado
- Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington
- Mike O’Callaghan Military Medical Center, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
- Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida
- Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
- Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Virginia
- Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
- William Beaumont Army Medical Center, Fort Bliss, Texas
- Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- U.S. Naval Hospital Guam, Agana Heights, Guam
- U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan
“DHA’s fall 2025 ’A’ Hospital Safety Grades demonstrate a nationally recognized achievement for prioritizing quality health care and patient safety,” said Cordts. “We are proud that the care provided at these hospitals ranks among the very best in the nation.”
Some military hospitals and clinics were not included in the safety grades this fall because they did not meet the minimum requirements for reporting criteria used by Leapfrog. The DHA has instituted similar criteria internally to track patient safety metrics for all facilities that did not qualify for official Leapfrog grades.
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