Saddleback Medical Center Achieves Eighth National "A" Safety Grade from Leapfrog

LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center has earned an "A" Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog that sets rigorous standards for excellence in patient care. This marks the eighth time Saddleback Medical Center has received an "A" grade, recognizing Saddleback Medical Center's achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error in the hospital.

"We are honored to receive Leapfrog's 'A' Safety Grade, showcasing to the nation, what our community and we already know, that our physicians and clinicians are absolutely dedicated to delivering the clinical excellence, while never forgetting the compassionate part of care," says Shela Kaneshiro, CEO of MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center. "Earning this recognition for the eighth time is a testament to our culture of continuous improvement and putting patients at the center of everything we do."

Leapfrog assigns grades of "A," "B," "C," "D" or "F" to general hospitals nationwide based on over 30 national performance measures. These measures evaluate errors, accidents, injuries, infections, and the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.

"We have process improvement and clinical standards in place that help our team uphold the highest standards in clinical quality and patient experience," says Nika Carlson, M.S.N., R.N., executive director of quality at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center. "This award reflects our commitment to enhancing community health and prioritizing patient safety."

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only national ratings program focused exclusively on how well hospitals prevent medical errors, infections and injuries – issues that contribute to more than 500 patient deaths each day in the U.S. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually in the fall and spring.

"Earning an 'A' Grade means MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center made a true commitment to put patients 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."

To see MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center's full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

About MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center
MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center is a member of MemorialCare, a not-for-profit, integrated health care delivery System.  Saddleback Medical Center received U.S. News & World Report high performance rankings for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Congestive Heart Failure, COPD, Diabetes, Heart Attack, Kidney Failure, Knee Replacement, Pneumonia, and Stroke. It was named among Healthgrade's America's 250 Best Hospitals, Top 50 U.S. Cardiovascular Hospitals, Orange County Register Best Orange County Hospitals and Top Workplaces; received Magnet Nursing Excellence designation and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Stroke Care Gold Plus and among first U.S. hospitals earning Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center Certification and Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation. Centers of Excellence include cancer, heart, orthopedics, spine, neuroscience, gastroenterology, emergency and critical care, breast health, imaging, women's health, obstetrics, geriatrics, and minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery. To learn more, visit memorialcare.org/saddleback.

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 flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. 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. For more, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter.

SOURCE MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center