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By Bernard S. Little Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Hospital Communications
For the fifth consecutive cycle, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center earned a Leapfrog “A” Hospital Safety Grade, this for Spring 2026, Defense Health Agency (DHA) officials announced May 6.
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 (fall and spring) to participating facilities.
Walter Reed was one of 15 military hospitals to earn an A grade, and one of only three military hospitals earning consecutive A grades for the past five Safety Grade cycles. The grades are indicative of Walter Reed’s readiness and commitment to safety and quality care.
During its recent evaluation Walter Reed scored better than average in the prevention of MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) and sepsis, with Leapfrog officials explaining, “Staph bacteria are common in hospitals, but MRSA is a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to (cannot be killed by) many antibiotics. MRSA can be found in bed linens or medical equipment and can spread if providers do not properly wash their hands between patients. MRSA can cause life-threatening bloodstream infections, pneumonia and surgical site infections.”
Walter Reed maintains a rigorous, high-scoring hand hygiene program focused on preventing infections through constant monitoring, compliance feedback, and staff education, explained Bernadette Naquin, a registered nurse with the Directorate for Quality at Walter Reed.
Walter Reed scored better than average in preventing “problems with surgery,” which includes “making sure that the surgical stitches don’t break open, and prevention of kidney failure and serious breathing problems following surgery,” Leapfrog evaluators stated.
Walter Reed scored better than average in preventing “harmful events,” and “air or gas bubbles in the blood,” which Leapfrog officials explained, “Patients can experience complications and potentially harmful events following a surgery, a procedure, or childbirth. When all of these errors are examined together, it gives a better picture of a hospital’s ability to keep its patients safe.”
Leapfrog evaluated also noted Walter Reed staff for “safe medication administration, handwashing practices, communication about medicines and discharge, and teamwork to prevent errors.” They stated, “Bar code medication administration (BCMA) systems are proven to reduce the risk that a hospital accidentally gives the wrong medication to a patient. Patients’ perspectives of care are an important part of patient safety. [Leapfrog’s] communication about medicines performance measure reflects patients’ feedback on how often hospital staff explained the purpose of any new medicine and what side effects that medicine might have. Effective communication about medicine prevents misunderstandings that could lead to serious problems for a patient.”
Leapfrog also explained that the communication about discharge measure summarizes how well the hospital staff communicated with patients about the help they would need at home after leaving the hospital. “The measure also summarizes how often patients reported that they were given written information about symptoms or health problems to watch for during their recovery. Educating patients on the steps they need to take during their recovery at home reduces the chances that a patient will need to be readmitted to the hospital.”
In January, Walter Reed was recently one of 15 DHA facilities earning top marks from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for how well they prepare patients to leave the hospital, according to an analysis by Becker’s Hospital Review. The report identified the 15 military hospitals and clinics that received a five-star rating for “Care Transitions” from CMS, reflecting how patients judged their discharge planning and follow-up instructions after an inpatient stay — a critical time in the patient care journey, said Dr. Paul Cordts, DHA deputy assistant director, medical affairs. “A five-star CMS rating in care transitions shows our teams exceed national benchmarks during one of the most risk-prone moments in care,” he said, noting that strong care coordination, teamwork, and patient-centered discharge planning led to the CMS recognition.
Leapfrog added, “A hospital that has a strong culture of safety has a well-functioning team with good leaders who catch errors before they can harm a patient. Patients are less likely to experience mistakes if hospital staff works together. Staff should also be comfortable speaking up when they sense an error might happen.”
Leapfrog officials also rated Walter Reed better than average in “effective leadership to prevent errors, nursing and bedside care for patients, specially trained doctors care for ICU patients, communication with doctors and nurses, and responsiveness of hospital staff.”
“[Our] patient safety program supports readiness by working to ensure we have both a ready medical force and a medically ready force,” said Naquin. “We do this by following the principles of high reliability to work to achieve top outcomes despite operating in a complex, high-risk environment. This work includes improving standardization and reducing variability; mitigating errors to achieve zero harm; celebrating transparency and accountability; and valuing the contributions of all individuals, regardless of rank.”
“We have the Good Catch program, which highlights staff members who caught and stopped an unsafe condition before it reached the patient. We also recognize staff who have shown a commitment to safety and improvement with Ready Reliable Care champion awards. We have a robust team of infection prevention nurses and a Falls Champions committee that works to implement evidence-based practices in the hospital to prevent [patient falls],” she added.
Naquin emphasized that patient safety is not a solitary endeavor, but a commitment needed by the entire Walter Reed team – staff, patients and their families – contributing every day.
“These hospital safety grades highlight [DHA’s] core commitment to safe, high-quality medical care for our patients,” said Cordts. “When our military hospitals achieve high standards like these, they also show they are equipped to both sustain the skills of our uniformed medical providers and ensure the overall health of our uniformed service members.”
According to Leapfrog, “grades are determined by public, peer-reviewed methodology, calculated by top patient safety experts under the guidance of a national expert panel. The grading system is fully transparent and freely available to the public at https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/.
For more information about Walter Reed, visit https://walterreed.tricare.mil/About-Us.
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.13.2026 12:27 |
| Story ID: | 565164 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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