Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Recognized Nationally for Quality Excellence

Leapfrog, Healthgrades, and Newsweek recognize VMFH hospitals for outstanding patient safety and specialty care.

SEATTLE, Nov. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For over a century, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) has been dedicated to delivering clinical excellence and compassionate, high-quality patient care across the Puget Sound region. This Fall, VMFH received significant national recognition for this commitment from leading organizations including The Leapfrog Group, Healthgrades, and Newsweek.

"Earning such accolades demands relentless dedication to our patients and upholding the highest standards of care, every single day," said Hans Cassagnol, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, CommonSpirit Health, Northwest Region. "Our teams give their all to serve our patients and ensure we are doing everything in our power to help create healthier communities."

In the bi-annual Leapfrog Group ratings for patient safety, five VMFH hospitals received an "A"  Hospital Safety Grade including: St. Joseph Medical Center (Tacoma, Wash.), St. Anthony Hospital (Gig Harbor, Wash.), St. Clare Hospital (Lakewood, Wash.), St. Michael Medical Center (Silverdale, Wash.), and Virginia Mason Medical Center (Seattle, Wash.) .

Leapfrog's grading system, based on 22 national performance measures, is designed to assess overall hospital safety. Performance is measured by how well hospitals deliver care, patient experience scores, and quality and safety outcomes such as Patient Safety Indicators (PSI)  and hospital acquired infections (HAI). The scores are converted to one of five letter grades, ranging from "A" to "F". The hospital safety grades are a transparent way for patients and communities to see how hospitals measure up, benchmarked against national best practices using standardized, publicly available data, empowering them to make informed decisions about their care.

"Earning an 'A' Grade means Virginia Mason Franciscan Health hospitals and medical centers 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."

Healthgrades' Fall ratings highlighted VMFH hospitals' excellence in specialty care, with top marks across multiple categories. Notably, St. Clare Hospital was ranked No. 1 in Washington state for Critical Care. Several VMFH hospitals across the Puget Sound also earned multiple 5-Star ratings for specific procedures and conditions:

• St. Clare Hospital: Pneumonia, Sepsis, and Outpatient Total Hip Replacement
• Virginia Mason Medical Center: Heart Failure, Defibrillator Procedures, Gallbladder Removal Surgery, Respiratory Failure, and Outpatient Rotator Cuff Repair
• St. Anne Hospital: Pneumonia and Sepsis
• St. Joseph Medical Center: Pneumonia, Bowel Obstruction, Sepsis, and Outpatient Back and Neck Surgery
• St. Michael Medical Center: Coronary Bypass Surgery, Sepsis, Diabetic Hospitalization, Outpatient Total Knee Replacement, Outpatient Total Hip Replacement, and Outpatient Rotator Cuff Repair
• St. Francis Hospital: Sepsis
• St. Anthony Hospital: Sepsis

Earlier this year, VMFH hospitals were also recognized among the "Best in the State" by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. Additionally, hundreds of VMFH physicians were named "Top Doctors" nationally and regionally based on patient and peer recommendations.

"These awards are not merely statistics; they represent lives saved, improved health outcomes, and the profound trust our patients place in us," noted Chad A. Aduddell, Interim President, CommonSpirit Health, Northwest Region. "Every physician, nurse, advanced practice provider, allied health professional, technician, administrative staff member, and support services team member at VMFH played a critical role in these achievements – they are truly the heart of our organization."

About Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) is an integrated health system serving the Puget Sound region, including 10 hospitals and 300 care sites. Founded in 1891, VMFH embraces its long history of caring for the most vulnerable, especially the poor and underserved, and meeting the evolving health care needs of the vibrant, diverse communities it serves. VMFH is a proud home to the Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the United States designed specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS, and the Benaroya Research Institute, an internationally recognized institution for autoimmune disease research. VMFH is part of CommonSpirit, one of the nation's largest health systems, dedicated to advancing health for all people.

SOURCE CommonSpirit Health