The nationally recognized Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades serve as a clear and reliable measure of patient safety.
In Greater Houston, Harris Health continues to lead the way. In the fall 2025 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital earned an “A” and Ben Taub Hospital earned a “B.”
“These grades aren’t just letters; they reflect our promise to the Houston community that when you or your loved ones need care, you can trust it will be delivered safely, reliably and with the highest quality in your community,” said Yash Chathampally, MD, senior vice president, Quality and Patient Safety, Harris Health.
What are Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades?
The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit founded in 2000, evaluates over 2,200 hospitals nationwide. Its mission is to improve healthcare safety and quality by giving patients clear, actionable information. By translating complex safety data into letter grades based on more than 30 evidence-based measures, such as:
- Medication safety and barcode scanning
- Intensive care unit and nurse staffing
- Infection and complication rates
- Physician order entry performance
- Patient satisfaction
- Hand washing procedures
Participation is voluntary—hospitals can choose whether to submit data—but Leapfrog still publishes a grade using publicly available information. Grades are updated twice a year, giving patients reliable, up-to-date safety information for every hospital.
What these grades mean for patients
Healthcare can be complicated, but Leapfrog grades simplify a critical question: How safe is this hospital?
“The average person doesn’t realize how different their care experience can be depending on the hospital,” said Tekhesia Philips, chief nurse officer, LBJ Hospital. “That’s why patients need to look at these grades—they provide a clear, reliable snapshot of safety and quality, helping people make informed choices.”
LeapFrog grades help patients:
- Make informed choices
- Have confidence in consistent care
- Identify hospitals committed to transparency and improvement
- Start meaningful conversations with health care providers
- Know what to expect during care
Take a closer look
Harris Health’s dedication to patient safety is clear in the rise of its Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades.
When reporting began in Fall 2023, both Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital and Ben Taub Hospital received a “C.” By Fall 2024, both had moved up to a “B,” and in 2025 grades, LBJ Hospital earned an “A” while Ben Taub Hospital maintained a “B.”
These gains reflect a focus on discipline, accountability and consistency at each hospital.
“I ask our staff the difference between an amateur and a professional: an amateur practices until they don’t get it wrong, a professional practices until they can’t. That’s what discipline, accountability and consistency mean for patient care,” said Derek Curtis, chief nurse officer, Ben Taub Hospital. “No matter how busy or chaotic, our team follows the same processes every time. We don’t take shortcuts and hold ourselves accountable to keep patients safe.”
These improvements weren’t about aiming for higher scores; they grew from systemwide initiatives focused on strengthening bedside care.
Building safety from the bedside up
Harris Health’s journey to safer care began at the bedside, not in boardrooms or reports.
“Our goal was to do the work diligently at the bedside and watch for it to translate back through the metrics,” Chathampally said. “We didn’t start off saying, ‘Let’s target Leapfrog metrics.’ We said, ‘Let’s make care better for patients and let the outcomes speak for themselves.’”
Harris Health focused on key areas to elevate patient safety, prompting the launch of two major initiatives:
- Leading with Love (the heart): a multi-year program focused on developing compassionate, effective leaders. It teaches them to support staff, foster engagement and maintain a culture of trust.
- High Reliability Organization (the brain): a methodology that standardizes processes, reduces variation and prevents errors, ensuring consistent care.
The bottom line
Harris Health leaders emphasize these grades are validation, not the target.
“At Harris Health, safety is embedded in everything we do—from standardized daily huddles to rapid response protocols. We focus on consistency, communication and accountability. We track performance data in real time, engage in continuous training, and foster a culture where everyone—from clinicians to support staff—is empowered to speak up about safety,” said Glorimar Medina, MD, CEO, Hospital Campuses, Harris Health. “These strong Leapfrog grades for our hospitals reflect the incredible teamwork across all departments and most importantly, they reflect a culture of ownership and commitment to our community. Our patients deserve to receive the highest level of care and to know that they can depend on us to consistently deliver that care. These grades confirm that this is the case.”
With an “A” at LBJ and a “B” at Ben Taub, the system’s transformation is measurable, visible, sustainable and deeply rooted in a safety culture.
To learn about Harris Health, click here.
The above story was produced by Multi Platform Journalist Chloe Chapel with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
