Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital (VBH) and Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital (VWCH) have earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for spring 2026 from The Leapfrog Group, an independent, national nonprofit organization that promotes “high value care and informed health care decisions.”
This is the highest recognition for patient safety from Leapfrog, which assigns A, B, C, D or F grades to general hospitals in the United States using patient safety measures focused on errors, accidents, injuries and infections.
“I want to congratulate the teams at Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital and Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital on these impressive results. These scores reflect their commitment to deliver outstanding care for the patients and families we serve,” said Jane Freedman, MD, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health System Officer for Vanderbilt Health. “I especially want to recognize VBH for achieving Straight A designation for their consistent performance year over year.”
For VBH, the recognition is their eighth in a row, earning them a rare “Straight A” designation that only 15% of the hospitals in the spring grading cycle received.
Kerri Laughlin, MBA, BSN, RN, director of Quality, Safety and Risk Prevention at VBH, calls the Straight A recognition a “moment of pride” for the Bedford County community.
“It reflects the dedication of our caregivers and the trust our neighbors place in us every day,” she said. “We are honored to stand among a small group of hospitals nationwide earning this distinction and remain deeply committed to raising the bar for safe, exceptional care close to home.”
The Leapfrog program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated in the fall and spring.
“This recognition highlights our great work on patient safety and clinical quality, demonstrating to our community that they can trust us with all of their health care needs from simple to complex,” said Scott McCarver, MHA, president of VWCH. “We know that every detail matters.”
Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, said that an “A” grade is a strong sign that VBH and VWCH are deeply committed to protecting patients from harm.
“We commend the leadership, board, clinicians, staff and volunteers for the role each played in earning this distinction,” she said.
To explore VBH and VWCH’s full grade details, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
