Medical Centers Receive Safety Grades for Spring 2025

MyMichigan Health hospitals earned high achievements in this year’s spring safety grades recently released by The Leapfrog Group. MyMichigan Medical Centers in Alma, Alpena and West Branch maintained the top “A” grade, with Alma and West Branch receiving their third top grade in a row, and Alpena its fourth. MyMichigan Medical Center Saginaw earned a “B,” and MyMichigan Medical Centers in Midland and Sault Ste. Marie earned a “C,” with Midland’s overall safety score improving from last release. No grades are calculated for the Medical Centers in Clare and Tawas where measure volumes did not meet scoring eligibility, or for critical access hospitals like the Medical Centers in Gladwin and Standish.

Leapfrog evaluates hospitals every spring and fall using a comprehensive survey to assess that hospitals are meeting rigorous safety standards. Patient experience and safety outcomes data supplied by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are also used. For the 2025 spring grade, performance predominantly from calendar years 2021 to 2023 was assessed. 24 hospitals in Michigan earned an “A” grade this spring, with the majority earning “B’s” or “C’s.”   

“MyMichigan Health has a robust plan in place to prioritize patient safety and foster a culture of continuous improvement. We keep constant surveillance on patient care,” said Lydia Watson, M.D., president and CEO, MyMichigan Health. “Our Medical Centers work together on strategies to identify risks, protect patients from preventable complications, and prevent errors. In fact, MyMichigan Health studies differences in outcomes across our health system to identify patterns that could lead to potential harm. Improvement measures are then implemented and rolled out to all of our hospitals long before the data shows in grades.”  

For example, recent areas of focus for the Medical Center in Midland included methicillin-resistant infections (MRSA) and complications that can be common in patients with surgical procedures. Protocols were implemented to increase the use of antimicrobial baths and MRSA infections were reduced. What’s more, surgical complications are reviewed to confirm that preventive measures were in place and if care could have been provided differently. The Medical Center in Sault Ste. Marie investigated an uptick in c-difficile infections and made changes to enhance testing processes. There were no cases of hospital c-difficile at the Medical Center in 2024. As a result of these improvements in Midland and the Sault, these enhancements are then rolled out to other MyMichigan Medical Center locations with work being done today expected to impact 2026 and 2027 grades.

“MyMichigan Health performance on hospital grades demonstrates our steadfast commitment to creating a safe environment for patients to receive their care,” added Dr. Watson

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. The biannual Hospital Safety Grade results are based on more than 30 national performance measures and are updated each fall and spring and the results are free to the public.

Those interested in viewing the full grades may visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org.