Keck Medicine Hospitals Achieve Top ‘A’ Safety Grade from Leapfrog

Keck Hospital of USC and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital (USC-VHH) have each been awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Grade for Fall 2025 by The Leapfrog Group, a respected independent nonprofit dedicated to improving patient safety across healthcare facilities. This marks a significant achievement for Keck Medicine of USC, the health system affiliated with the University of Southern California.

According to Rod Hanners, CEO of Keck Medicine, this is the first time the health system has simultaneously received two “A” grades. He stated, “This is a huge accomplishment. The Leapfrog Group grades hospitals on a set of very rigorous standards, and this grade puts our hospitals among the safest in the country.”

Details on the Hospitals and Their Commitments

Keck Hospital, a 343-bed acute care facility, specializes in a wide range of medical services. Meanwhile, USC-VHH, which has 140 beds, serves patients in Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, and the surrounding Foothill communities of Southern California. This recognition is particularly noteworthy as it represents the 11th “A” grade for Keck Hospital since 2019.

Stephanie Hall, MD, chief medical officer of Keck Medical Center of USC, emphasized the ongoing commitment to patient safety. “Every year, the Leapfrog grading criteria become more rigorous, and it is a tremendous honor for Keck Hospital to once again receive the highest safety grade possible,” she noted.

For USC-VHH, this is the second time in recent years it has achieved an “A” grade. Armand Dorian, MD, MMM, CEO of USC-VHH, expressed pride in the accomplishment, stating, “We are proud that our hard work maximizing safety standards has resulted in another grade ‘A.’ This grade recognizes the commitment shared by every care provider at the hospital to put patient safety first.”

Understanding the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

The Leapfrog Group assigns letter grades from “A” to “F” to general hospitals based on various measures that reflect their overall performance in safeguarding patients from preventable harm. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and accessible to the public, with updates occurring twice a year—once in the fall and once in the spring.

To view the complete details of the Leapfrog grades for Keck Hospital and USC-VHH, as well as access hospital safety tips for patients, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

In addition to the Leapfrog recognition, Keck Medicine has garnered numerous national quality honors in recent years. Keck Hospital was recently named a 2025 top performer by Vizient, Inc., placing it among the top 12 hospitals in the United States for excellence in high-quality care delivery.

Marty Sargeant, MBA, CEO of Keck Medical Center, remarked, “Keck Hospital’s Leapfrog grade ‘A’ award is once again a reflection of our commitment to pursuing the highest possible standards of care and is a testament to the effort our faculty and staff put in day in and day out to exemplify excellence.”

Keck Medicine of USC continues to prioritize patient safety and quality care as core components of its mission, striving to maintain its status as a leader in healthcare excellence.