Griffin Hospital in Derby was awarded an ‘A’ in the Fall 2025 Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, recognizing its achievements in protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.
“Earning an ‘A’ Grade means Griffin Hospital made a true commitment to put patient safety first,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We congratulate the leadership, Board, clinicians, staff and volunteers that all had a role to play in this achievement.”
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
“Achieving an ‘A’ Leapfrog Safety Grade was enabled by the commitment of all Griffin caregivers to the delivery of exceptional person-centered care,” said Griffin Health President and CEO Patrick Charmel. “High-quality health care starts with keeping patients safe, and we understand that it takes a team effort to achieve the high safety standards we set for ourselves. Every Griffin employee and medical staff member is considered a caregiver and that means we work together to prevent harm to our patients and provide them with the best care experience possible.”
We also understand that high-quality care and safety is enhanced when patients, families, and our caregivers are engaged in the entire care planning and delivery experience. This appreciation and value for everyone’s unique preferences is supported by Griffin’s ongoing work in establishing a truly person-centered care environment. Our steadfast focus for more than two decades has been guided in close partnership with Planetree International, the global leader in person-centered care (PCC) transformation, and their best-practice PCC Framework which is rooted in research, evidence, and the authentic experiences of all those that give and receive care.”
This partnership has strengthened the teamwork and culture required to make achievements like a Leapfrog ‘A’ Safety Grade possible and sustainable, Charmel explained. Many of the evidence-based measures of patient safety in the Leapfrog Safety Grade align with the standards for Planetree PCC Gold Certification Program®.
The Safety Grade’s focus on health equity, caring communications, which include open discussion of adverse events and family participation in care improvement, and staff engagement and teamwork in preventing errors, are all considered essential elements of person-centered care. Similarly, the criteria required for Planetree PCC Gold Certification, including educating caregivers about diversity and assessing community health disparities, prioritizing partnerships with patients’ social support structures, and encouraging participation and ownership by all caregivers in the delivery and continuous improvement of patient care, serve as a driving force behind Griffin Hospital being the nation’s longest continuously Planetree PCC certified hospital, and reflect its dedication to delivering truly exceptionally safe and effective health care.
To explore Griffin’s full grade details and to find valuable tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
To explore Planetree’s PCC Framework and Certification Program, visit www.planetree.org.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections. Griffin’s ongoing work grounded in the Planetree Person-Centered Care philosophy has strengthened the teamwork, transparency, and shared accountability that drive safety and quality. This commitment to engaging patients and caregivers as partners in improvement helps make achievements like a Leapfrog ‘A’ Safety Grade possible.