The Leapfrog Group, a leading independent patient safety watchdog, has released its Spring 2025 Hospital Safety Grades, revealing a mixed bag for Georgia hospitals. Nineteen hospitals across the state received the coveted “A” rating for their commitment to patient safety. However, the report also reveals a concerning trend: Georgia’s overall national ranking for hospital safety has plummeted in recent years. While in Spring 2019, the state ranked a respectable 15th, it has now fallen to 35th, signaling a growing need for improvement in patient safety protocols across the state.

Locally, AdventHealth Redmond received a “B” grade. Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center and Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton were assigned a “C.” Atrium Health’s Polk Medical Center was not included in the rankings due to its size.

Notably, Atrium Health Floyd experienced a decline in its safety grade. After achieving “A” ratings in both 2023 reports, the hospital received a “B” in Spring 2024 and a “C” in Fall 2024. While the hospital received average or above-average scores in doctor and nurse communication and care, areas of concern were identified in preventing infections and patient falls, as well as some surgical outcomes.

AdventHealth Redmond, which consistently earned “A” ratings throughout 2023 and early 2024, also received a “B” in the most recent Fall report. Despite solid performance in surgeries and error prevention practices, the hospital struggled with preventing specific infections and experienced higher-than-average patient fall rates.

Of the 79 hospitals graded in Georgia, the distribution of grades was: 19 “A”s, 27 “B”s, 29 “C”s, and 4 “D”s.

Liz Coyle, executive director of Georgia Watch, expressed concern about the state’s declining ranking. “Patients should be able to trust that they will be safe when they enter a hospital, but preventable medical errors continue to pose a serious threat,” she stated. “We urge hospital leaders across Georgia to make patient safety a top priority and take stronger action to protect every patient, every time.” The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade assigns letter grades to hospitals based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, injuries, accidents, and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. The full report can be accessed on The Leapfrog Group’s website.