5 Hartford HealthCare ambulatory surgery centers recognized nationally with Leapfrog award

Prestigious award highlights excellence in patient safety, quality

HARTFORD, Conn., Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- All five eligible Hartford HealthCare ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) made Leapfrog Group's nationwide "Top Ambulatory Surgery Center" list for exceptional performance in clinical outcomes, patient safety and processes protecting patients.

Just 37 ASCs nationwide earned this distinction in 2025 from Leapfrog, an independent organization widely regarded as the nation's leading advocate for patient safety and transparency. Leapfrog's Top ASC award recognizes efforts in staffing, hand hygiene compliance, patient experience, infection prevention and practices for safer surgery and error prevention.

"This achievement reflects the dedication and expertise of Hartford HealthCare, Constitution Surgery Alliance (CSA), the managing partner of our ASCs, and our exceptional ASC physician partners," said Karen Goyette, system executive vice president and chief strategy and transformation officer. "This award only further validates our collective commitment to ensuring patients access to more affordable, world-class quality care."

Hartford HealthCare ASCs have earned nine total Leapfrog Top ASC designations since the program's 2022 inception. This year's recognition includes:

• HHC Cheshire Surgery Center, second consecutive year
• HHC Southwest Connecticut Surgery Center in Wilton, second consecutive year
• HHC Hartford Surgery Center, second recognition
• HHC Rocky Hill Surgery Center, second recognition
• HHC Surgery Center East in Waterford, first recognition

"Quality is the foundation of everything we do," said Ajay Kumar, MD, HHC executive vice president and chief clinical officer. "This recognition – one of the most challenging in the industry to earn - means our patients can trust they receive care here that meets the highest national standards."

The recognized ASCs are part of a network providing access to outpatient surgical care in orthopedics, total joint replacement, spine surgery pain management and ophthalmology. CSA, a leading developer and operator of outpatient surgery centers, is the managing partner of the ASCs.

"Achievements like this inspire us to keep raising the bar, because every improvement translates into better outcomes and experiences for those we serve," said Kris Mineau, CSA founder and CEO.

The Leapfrog ASC awards are the latest national recognition for Hartford HealthCare. Other recent quality achievements include:

• American Hospital Association Quest for Quality Prize in 2025 – the only health system in the country to receive the top honor.
• In 2023 and 2024, all seven Hartford HealthCare hospitals earned "A" grades from The Leapfrog Group.
• A 76% reduction in hospital-acquired infections over the past decade and a 67% reduction in serious safety events since 2019.

Leapfrog announced the Top ASC awards at its annual meeting and awards dinner. Also at the event, Hartford HealthCare President & CEO Jeffrey Flaks was awarded the Steven Schroeder Award for Outstanding Healthcare CEO. The prestigious award recognizes courageous and ethical leadership in addressing the twin challenges of quality and affordability in healthcare.

About Hartford HealthCare
With 45,000 dedicated colleagues and a bold vision for the future, Hartford HealthCare is transforming healthcare across Connecticut and beyond—enhancing access, affordability, health equity, and excellence. Spanning more than 500 locations across 185 towns and cities, our comprehensive care-delivery system is built to serve every community, every day.

From world-class hospitals—including two tertiary-level teaching hospitals, an acute-care community teaching hospital, an acute-care hospital and trauma center, and three community hospitals—to an expansive network of behavioral health services, multispecialty physician groups, urgent and virtual care, surgery centers, home care, senior care, rehabilitation, and mobile neighborhood health programs, Hartford HealthCare is there when and where it matters most.

Hartford HealthCare touches the lives of 28,000 people every single day, delivering unparalleled care through its unique Institute Model—bringing together leading experts in neuroscience, cancer, digestive health, heart and vascular care, orthopedics, and urology & kidney health to provide a unified, high standard of care at the most affordable cost.

Recognized nationally for patient safety and clinical excellence, Hartford HealthCare was the only health system in country awarded the prestigious Quest for Quality Prize from the American Hospital Association and boasts Leapfrog A-ratings across all its hospitals—making Hartford HealthCare one of the safest healthcare systems in the country.

About Constitution Surgery Alliance
CSA is a leading operator of outpatient surgery centers. Over the past 26 years, CSA has developed 27 surgery centers, including 15 health system joint ventures, and has partnered with more than 500 surgeons and physicians. CSA's surgery centers complete more than 90,000 surgical cases each year. CSA partnered surgery centers have won the prestigious Leapfrog Group "Top ASC" designation seventeen times, the most competitive award that ASCs can receive for patient safety and clinical quality. In 2025, CSA secured a strategic investment from Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, a leading private equity firm specializing in healthcare and technology investments. For more information about CSA and our award-winning ASCs, please visit www.CSAsurgery.com.

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 forward in the quality and safety of American health care, so consumers make informed decisions about their health and access safe, high-value care. For more information, please visit leapfroggroup.org

SOURCE Constitution Surgery Alliance