Walter Reed again earns “A" Grade from Leapfrog Group

Courtesy Photo | Walter Reed again earned an "A" grade from The Leapfrog Group for Spring 2025, reflecting the medical center’s continued commitment to patient safety and high-quality care for service members, their families and other Military Health System beneficiaries.  

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES

05.28.2025

Story by Bernard Little 

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

By Bernard S. Little
Walter Reed Office of Command Communications

Walter Reed once again earned an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group for Spring 2025, reflecting the medical center’s continued commitment to patient safety and high-quality care for service members, their families, and other Military Health System beneficiaries.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit watchdog organization, evaluates hospitals nationwide on safety and prevention measures, including those concerning errors, injuries, and infections, assigning grades from A to F twice a year to participating facilities.

Participation in Leapfrog is voluntary, with hospitals choosing to report their safety and quality data to the organization. In the latest assessment for Spring 2025, 32 percent of U.S. hospitals received an “A,” while 73 percent of military hospitals achieved the top grade - a significant increase from 43 percent in Spring 2024, according to Dr. David Smith, the acting director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA).

“We show excellent performance measured against our peers and against ourselves over time,” Smith stated in a message to DHA staff. He added DHA’s partnership with The Leapfrog Group is “one of many avenues in which we transparently share our performance and compare ourselves to other hospitals and health systems across the country.”

Leapfrog’s evaluation covers over 30 areas, including infection rates, surgical safety, error prevention, and staff performance. Walter Reed’s consistent top grades underscore its dedication to transparency and continuous improvement in patient safety. This was the third consecutive Grade A performance for Walter, one of 16 DHA facilities to earn the “A” grade for Spring 2025 (https://dha.mil/News/2025/05/01/16/50/Sixteen-Military-Hospitals-Receive-Leapfrogs-Highest-Safety-Grade).

For information about Walter Reed’s Leapfrog grade, visit https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/h/walter-reed-national-military-medical-center?findBy=city&city=Bethesda&state_prov=MD&rPos=300&rSort=distance

For more information about Walter Reed, visit https://walterreed.tricare.mil/About-Us.

• Date Taken: 05.28.2025
• Date Posted: 05.28.2025 13:21
• Story ID: 499077
• Location: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US