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UVA Health today announced its three community medical centers in Culpeper, Haymarket, and Prince William received ‘A’ grade from The Leapfrog Group’s spring 2026 Hospital Safety Grades.  Notably, UVA Health Haymarket and Prince William Medical Centers have maintained “Straight A” designations for more than 15 consecutive grading periods.  

“Every day, our teams demonstrate what it means to put patients first, with exceptional skill, compassion, and a commitment to safety,” said Erik Shannon, the chief executive officer for UVA Health’s community medical centers and clinics in northern Virginia and Culpeper. “Earning an ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group represents our dedication to continuous improvement, accountability, and delivering the highest standard of care. This recognition underscores the relentless focus of our teams to advance our mission of transforming health and inspiring hope for all Virginians and beyond, ensuring every patient in the communities we serve receives safe, high-quality care, and an exceptional patient experience.”  

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is assigned by the Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization. The Safety Grade assigns an ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ ‘D,’ or ‘F’ grade to hospitals across the country based on over thirty national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as processes hospitals have in place to prevent harm. The grade of ‘A’ is awarded to hospitals that excel in 22 evidence-based measures, actively protect patients from harm, and improve outcomes, such as reduced length of stay and mortality rates. Receiving a “Straight A” designation is only accomplished by 15% of hospitals in this grading cycle. It reflects a grade of ‘A’ for the last five or more grading rounds. 

“Achieving “Straight A” Leapfrog grades is an impressive accomplishment,” stated Gena Lawday, RN-BSN, MHA, CPHQ, CPPS, HACP-CMS, the chief quality officer for UVA Health’s community medical centers and clinics in northern Virginia and Culpeper. “Equally important, all three of our hospitals earned an ’A’. This cycle reflects a strong systemwide culture of safety. This consistency speaks to the vigilance and commitment our teams bring to protecting patients every day. Maintaining this level of performance across all three hospitals is meaningful and speaks to the strength of our safety culture.”  

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on a hospital's prevention of medical errors and patient harm. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. 

All three UVA Health community medical centers are accredited by Joint Commission, which requires an extensive triennial review of hospital safety and quality practices. This includes general care practices as well as quality outcomes, such as preventing hospital-acquired infections. The medical centers maintain a focus on safety and quality metrics at all times, even during pandemics, seasonal surges, supply shortages, and other hospital challenges. The Leapfrog Group recognition highlights the commitment to excellence in infection prevention and the dedication of clinical staff to implementing best practices for patient care.  

To view full grade details for UVA Health community medical centers in Culpeper, Haymarket, and Manassas and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook, and via its newsletter.